"Border Patrol" Yellowstone Wolf 21 Sculpture- Miniature

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.

“Border Patrol” – Gray Wolf, Yellowstone’s famous Druid Pack alpha male 21M, Miniature (7″L x 4″W x 4″H; Edition of 121)

Contact us for international shipping rates.

Out of stock? Contact us to order a new casting.