nyssa – Aug 26, 2005 12:00 AM

Behavioral Observation Team Member Janet Narron sent this tribute to Nyssa: It's split in three sections to fit in the space allowed: One year ago this month (August), I took a journey northward to find the International Wolf Center. I was to be a part of the Behavioral Observation Team. Three magnificent wolf pups were to be assimilated into the world of Shadow and Malik, thereby creating a new family, a new pack. The week would be like nothing I had ever known. It is, to this day, my most rewarding trip. As I write this, my IWC identification badge for the week still hangs above my desk. The badges each displayed photos of our assigned wolves for the week…mine reads…Janet Narron—NYSSA. I am not a scientist, or a teacher, or a wolf biologist. I am just someone who has always been intrigued with wolves, although I knew very little about them. Perhaps I was drawn to their mesmerizing beauty or simply their ever-present air of mystery. I was so thrilled, as I drove along unfamiliar roads, to think I would have the chance to be near wolves, to watch them and to photograph them. I certainly never imagined how it would feel to hold one in my arms.