‘Ding’ Darling Film Series Examines Wolves Dilemma
OutdoorHub 02.20.14
Set in the soaring mountains and majestic valleys of southwest Montana, Wolves in Paradise comes to the screen at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. The free showing is part of the refuge’s second annual Bi-Weekly Film Series in the “Ding” Darling Visitor & Education Center.
Wolves in Paradise is a tale of survival as ranchers face the challenge of living with wolves in the decade after the top predator was reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park.
The documentary follows the growing wolf packs as they leave the sanctuary of the park and make their first incursions into Paradise Valley.
“How can we have the rancher and the wolf together? That’s the part we need to get figured out, all right. That’s the tough one,” says Paradise Valley rancher Martin Davis. Davis copes with the frustration of raising livestock in wolf country while fending off another threat to his way of life: encroaching development.
The film contrasts his traditional, family outfit with the vast Sun Ranch in nearby Madison Valley, which operates as a conservation experiment that tries to accommodate both wolves and cattle with unexpected, dramatic results.
Meanwhile, as the action plays out in the remote reaches of Greater Yellowstone, a surprising alliance grows between traditional enemies — livestock growers and conservationists — who find common ground in the need to protect open space from developers in this last, wild corner of the West.
Admission is free to the film, which is sponsored by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS). Seating is limited and available on a first-come basis. Future film events are listed below. All films begin at 2:30 p.m.
For full descriptions of the films, please visit www.dingdarlingsociety.org/films.
March 5: Wolves in Paradise
March 19: Monster Python: Inside Nature’s Giants
April 2: The Lost Bird Project
April 9: A Life Among Whales
