Author Cheryl Alexander, who documented the life of Takaya, the lone wolf that inhabited an archipelago off the coast of Oak Bay, is marking the first anniversary of the wolf鈥檚 death with the release of two children鈥檚 books.
The books 鈥� Good Morning, Takaya and Takaya鈥檚 Journey 鈥� will be published by Rocky Mountain Books around the end of the month. Both books feature Alexander鈥檚 photography of the wolf. She co-wrote Good Morning, Takaya with Alex van Tol and Takaya鈥檚 Journey with Jenaya Copithorne.
Takaya had lived alone on Discovery Island and a collection of nearby islands since 2012 before wandering into James Bay in late January 2020. He was tranquilized by conservation officers and relocated to an area near Port Renfrew. Two months later, he was shot and killed by a hunter about 50 kilometres from where he had been released.
Fans of Takaya 鈥� both children and adults 鈥� are invited to submit their original artwork and writing inspired by the wolf to a contest held by Russell Books, Rocky Mountain Books and Alexander. Entries can be submitted to [email protected] until 11:59 p.m. March 31.
Winning submissions will be printed in the sa国际传媒. Winners in each category will also receive a Takaya book.
Good Morning, Takaya, geared toward children ages three to five, follows a day in the life of Takaya on his island, introducing readers to the other animals in his environment 鈥� heron, geese, owls and seals.
Takaya鈥檚 Journey, written as the first in a series, imagines a young Takaya deciding to leave his pack in search of a mate and finding a home on the islands.
Alexander hopes the story of Takaya inspires children to care about the species and their conservation.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e learning about an individual wolf who has a character and has emotions and has all the things that that wolves have, but that we often don鈥檛 recognize, because we don鈥檛 know a lot of individual wolves,鈥� she said.
The two children鈥檚 books follow Alexander鈥檚 popular book for adults, Takaya: Lone Wolf, released last fall.
Alexander is also organizing a global wolf howl on March 24 to commemorate the wolf鈥檚 death. Last year, she received messages and videos from people in more than 20 countries who howled in honour of Takaya.
She howled last year from her home, looking out onto Takaya鈥檚 islands. This year, she鈥檚 hoping to be out on her boat in the wolf鈥檚 territory.
鈥� Contest details:
鈥� Details on the howl:
