EDITOR’S NOTE: Nature photography celebrates real landscapes and wildlife. Fine art in other media allows the creator to reinterpret subjects they encounter and sometimes cast them in fresh light. This was the case recently when Lander, Wyoming sculptor Sandy Scott created an homage to Jackson Hole Grizzly 399 and her cubs commissioned by the Deidre Bainbridge Wildlife Fund. Photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen also broke from his own mold and worked with sculptor Rip Caswell in presenting 399 and offspring in bronze. Below, Gardiner, Montana-based naturalist and sculptor George Bumann shares the inspiration behind his homage to Yellowstone Wolf 21 titled “Border Patrol.” He and his wife, Jenny Golding, a photographer and naturalist, operate the blog site A Yellowstone Life and are chief organizers of the annual Yellowstone Summit, of which Yellowstonian is a collaborator. —Todd Wilkinson
by George Bumann
I sculpted Wolf 21 to honor a friend.
During our early days in Yellowstone, I quickly came to recognize the two-toned, black-over-gray identifying marks of the alpha male of the Druid Peak pack. Additionally, and I might say, most poignantly, I got to know his captivating personality—the kind of perspective that was left out my years of training in wildlife ecology.
I became sensitized to his benevolence, his hard stance on defending his family in the face of danger, and his gentle hand in dealing with interpersonal matters within the pack.
I swallowed hard as I watched him effortlessly consume an entire, fifteen inch-long elk’s tongue along the Lamar River one morning—in three, gulping bites.
Seeing Wolf 21, the quintessential tough guy alpha male, play with his puppies brought many smiles to my face, and at times, had me laughing out loud; understanding why the Nez Perce people say that wolves taught them how to be good parents.
I felt the deep longing and separation in his howls when his longtime mate, Wolf 42, was killed following a battle with an enemy pack in February of 2004. Wolf 21’s remains would be found later that same year in a peaceful setting beneath a tree in the summer rendezvous site of the Druid Pack.
Though his body and earthly spirit were ephemeral (he lived to the age of nine, three times the average lifespan of a wolf at that time) to me, 21’s lessons were timeless.
I sculpted “Border Patrol” to preserve my memories of this amazing individual, and while the bronze could be seen as a monument to a unique animal, to me it also immortalized a teacher, a mentor, and a hero. He was one of a kind.
ENDNOTE: “Border Patrol” was created as a life-sized monument in an edition of seven, the last of which was recently sold. He also produced small versions in 11-inch maquette size and 5.5-inch miniature size. Readers can also see the life-sized version of 21’s mate, Wolf 42 titled “Valley Vigil” at the Yellowstone Forever headquarters in Gardiner, Montana. If you stop by, be sure to take a photo and tag it with #wolf42, @ynpforever, @ayellowstonelife, and @yellowstonian. Also check out Bumann’s new book Eavesdropping on Animals: What We Can Learn From Wildlife Conversations.
Below is Sandy Scott‘s public monument to Grizzly 399 and cubs that can be viewed in front of the Pascal Poolaw Building at the National Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois, Wyoming. Photo by Ray Thomas, co-founder of the Deidre Bainbridge Wildlife Fund. At bottom is Thomas D. Mangelsen’s tribute to 399 and four cubs titled “The Guardian” completed with Rip Caswell.
