Takaya’s Books

A #1 B.C. Bestseller!

Released in Fall 2020, this new book provides an enchanting and evocative look at the unique relationship between a solitary, island-dwelling wolf and a renowned wildlife photographer.

A lone wild wolf lives on a small group of uninhabited islands in British Columbia’s Salish Sea, surrounded by freighter, oil tanker and other boat traffic and in close proximity to a large urban area. His name is Takaya, which is the Coast Salish First Nations people’s word for wolf. Cheryl Alexander studied and documented this unique wolf for years, unravelling the many mysteries surrounding his life. Her documentation of Takaya’s journey, his life on the islands and the development of their deep connection is presented alongside a stunning collection of her photography. Through journal entries, interviews, and photographs, Takaya: Lone Wolf addresses a number of profound questions and tells a story that is certain to inspire, enlighten, and touch the heart. It is the story of a wild animal, alone yet at peace.

Story and photos by Cheryl Alexander

With a provocative foreword by Carl Safina

Published by Rocky Mountain Books.

Where to Purchase

Takaya: Lone Wolf is available in many local bookstores.

To order online, please visit one of the sites in the list to the right.

**For information about wholesale/retail orders, please click here.

 

Reviews

“Cheryl Alexander has done very valuable work in the hours, days and more she spent learning about a particular wolf. Because of their relatively high intelligence and social connectivity, wolves have much in common with humans. This helps to tear down the unfortunate old myth of the “big bad wolf.” Alexander’s book is an important contribution to this topic.”

-Robert Bateman, artist and naturalist

“It’s interesting when the fates of a wild animal and a person come together. Cheryl Alexander, although working in the field of environmental decision-making and education, was not a wolf person or a wolf expert. However, after a chance encounter with a lone wolf that had migrated to the islands near her home, she got really involved in his life. She told me a story of seeing Takaya smell and then piss on the eggs of a goose, rather than eat them immediately. She wondered why. Over the next few weeks she observed that Takaya returned many times and ate only a couple of the eggs each time he visited the nest. She wondered if he was perhaps waiting for them to hatch, or maybe knew the goose might lay more eggs if he left some. Observations like this are only possible when a person spends time and looks at an animal with real empathy. Cheryl didn’t just want to understand and investigate Takaya; she became committed to protecting and advocating for him. When his life was threatened by potential government intervention, she advocated for him and for greater public education about co-existence with carnivores. I am very grateful for the protection Cheryl offered and for the increased understanding of wolves that her observations have brought.”

-Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, photographer, biologist and author; founder, former president and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers

“An inspiring and beautifully rendered chronicle of a quest to unfurl the mysteries of a social animal that chose to forge its own path alone. Takaya’s solitary journey brought him into magical communion with Cheryl and now with all of us through this colourful and compassionate portrait that will forever change the way we view these majestic creatures.”

-John Zada, writer, photographer, and journalist

“There can be few more poignant stories than that of Takaya, the lone wolf. Having hurt no one in his life, he was senselessly killed by hunters - legal on Vancouver Island, to which he had been returned after seven years of solitary life on islands off the coast at Victoria. This beautiful wolf is light years from the fear-instilling characterization of the wolf in the Red Riding Hood fable. I think we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Cheryl Alexander. She shines a light of hope in our increasingly troubled world which shows you don’t need to be a scientist to watch and learn and care about other creatures. We just need to be a little humble and respectful. And grateful.”

-Virginia McKenna, OBE, co-founder and trustee of Born Free

“Next to human beings, wolves are certainly the most social animals in North America. This was one of the first and in many ways the most important lessons we’ve learned about wolves. They are creatures that need, above all, to have a bond with each other, to be a part of a pack. Cheryl' Alexander’s discovery of a lone wolf living on an island at the edge of a major city was a puzzle. Why did Takaya live by himself? We travelled to Canada to meet Cheryl and observe Takaya and were deeply moved by what we discovered: a moving relationship between two species, meeting as trusted equals in their private world on the edge of civilization. We’ll never know what twists and turns in a lone wolf’s life brought Takaya to this remote island, but one thing was clear: with the want of his own pack, Cheryl was his only friend.”

-Jim and Jamie Dutcher, wildlife filmmakers, authors of The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack

“Takaya: Lone Wolf is so much more than just the remarkable story of adventure and survival of a lone wolf on several small islands off the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It provides a rich testament to the resilience, at times against all odds, of the natural world in the face of human encroachment. Through beautiful imagery and a compelling personal narrative, Cheryl Alexander provides us with detailed insight into this majestic, yet often feared and misunderstood, apex predator. Takaya: Lone Wolf is a story of love and compassion. It’s a story of Takaya’s mutual trust and respect for Cheryl Alexander. And it’s a story that will inspire you to want to learn more about the mysterious Canis lupus.”

-Andrew Weaver, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and professor at the University of Victoria

“A heart-searing book that draws us into feeling with and for Takaya. Aren’t we all stuck on an island, determined to survive alone, or transferred away from our home? The magnificent photos and insights inspire us to hang on too, to believe that we too will persevere. The wildness of the natural world is in us too.”

-Darcia Narvaez, University of Notre Dame, author of Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture, and Wisdom

“Takaya the film was great. Takaya the book is even better. Never before has the life of a lone wolf been so deeply, so richly and so lovingly documented. Cheryl Alexander was drawn into an eight-year-long quest to understand how the wolf, Takaya, was able to survive, isolated from others of his kind, on a small collection of islands off Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. With patience, persistence and reverence, she forged a relationship with Takaya that allowed her one of the best glimpses into a lone wolf’s live we’ve ever had. I was reminded of Jane Goodall’s and Diane Fossi’s classic work with chimpanzees and gorillas, respectively, where researcher and subject learn to respect one another as equals. Indeed, so much of the charm of this story is the impact of Takaya on Cheryl: wolf as Zen master. Along the way, Cheryl amassed a collection of stunning photographs that richly illustrate Takaya’s life, and seem to not only give us a glimpse into his day-to-day routine, but also give us a sense of his soul. It was a brief eye-to-eye encounter that drew Cheryl into her quest early on, and the power of his glance comes through in her photos.”

-Fred Harrington, professor emeritus, Mount Saint Vincent University

“Astounding, moving and above all beautiful, this remarkable story inspires all of us to persevere and to value the world we live in.”

-W. Bruce Cameron, NYT #1 bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose

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Reviews