Local writer Nick Jans has a new book of photos that tells the story of a wolf who forged friendships with owners and dogs alike at Mendenhall Glacier. “A True Alaska Tale: Romeo the Friendly Wolf” is a story that follows the six years that passed between 2003 and 2009 when Romeo joined Juneau. Juneau community. The book was released last week.
Jans wrote the New York Times bestseller novel “A Wolf named Romeo” in 2014. Jans declared that “Romeo the friendly Wolf” released nearly a decade after and has the advantage of perspective and distance. He added that accessibility was a further goal.
“I would like adults to read this to their children… Kids are most important. They’re the ones who create the world better,” said Jans. He believes that his book can be used to help cruise passengers on ships who don’t speak English.
This is Jans fourteenth book and the first one that includes photography in addition to writing. “I’m an author who photographs and they help tell an entire story” Jans said.
Jans was born in Alaska in 1979 to live among large wildlife in a large wild area. He spent over 20 years in tiny Inupiaq villages on the Kobuk River in the Northwest Arctic. He was a game guide as well as a trading post manager as well as a high school teacher. In the latter part of 1990 He married his wife and relocated in Southeast Alaska but still returns to his home in Ambler for some months every year.
“I did not come to Alaskain search of writer, but I came in order to be a person,” said Jans.
It was in Juneau that Jans as well as his partner Sherrie constructed their home near the shores of Mendenhall Lake. They came across Romeo when walking their dog Dakotah and a bond immediately formed between the dogs and wolves.
“Usually you’ll have contact with wild animals and then you don’t meet them again,” said Jans.
But, Romeo kept coming back.
“At times during winter, he would go and come, but at other times, he’d stay for weeks, and would have numerous encounters with the dogs” Jans said. Jans. Then one day, Romeo was gone.
The years after, reminiscing about Romeo made tears roll down Jans eyes on many an occasion. His voice was filled with emotion as he thought of the impact Romeo had on the people who came to admire him.
“That the book is about to come out proves that he’s not leaving. The story continues,” he said.
The tale of Romeo has been an inspiration for a lot of people. Jans admitted that he receives mail from people all over the globe who have read “A Wolf Called Romeo,” that is translated into 7 languages. A museum dedicated to Romeo was created on the glacier in Mendenhall, which was opened for visitors to visit at the Center as well as last year it was the Orpheus Project, a Juneau non-profit organization, held a celebration that reflected Romeo’s life.
Todd Hunt, artistic director for the Orpheus Project, said the celebration featured “many various artists as well as their ideas of what Romeo signifies for them.” He was able to read Jans his first book when it first came out, and realized it “needed some kind of musical treatment” leading him to compose an opera that was part of a piece in two acts that was titled “Wolf Songs.”
“I always believed that the best thing I could do was for me to help make this extraordinary Wolf count,” said Jans.
He said he’d like to continue telling the story of Romeo in his new book which he believes will be a reflection of the human race’s relationship with nature.
“If you could become friends with the wild wolf and he did with us. Then we should to befriend the natural world,” said Jans.
The story first was published in Chilkat Valley News and is published here with permission.
