Wolf tracks! This has been a pretty interesting part about working in low traffic areas of Pacific Rim NPR. I am still yet to see a wolf but most times when I'm working I find their tracks in the dunes or on the beach. I could tell this was a wolf track due to the consistent line of travel and the lack of meandering that a carefree dog would do, wolves have to travel efficiently and preserve their energy. The hind paw also is quite wide and splayed out, there is a lot of negative space between toes and you could draw a wide X between them, with a dog this X would be narrower in the hind paw (rotate this letter X 90 degrees to see what it would look like with a wolf vs a dog). There were also no human tracks that were the same age which is usually the biggest clue. Its always really interesting to play detective when I arrive to see what they were doing and to try and guess what time they were there based on the tides (usually night or dawn). Sand dunes and beaches are important travel corridors for wildlife, and if you've experienced the dense west coast forests, you'll understand why. In a world where we have lost so much habitat and predators have been badly persecuted, there is a humbling optimism knowing that I regularly share a space with these amazing animals.

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