Grey wolf by John E. Marriott (Banff National Park, Alta.)

Early in the morning, John E. Marriott went for a hike at Banff National Park hoping to find signs of grey wolves. He walked in the snow for a while until he noticed a few pups walking along some railway tracks. Marriott immediately hid in the willow bushes ahead of them. He tried to blend in with the landscape with his white camo clothing, while making sure his scent didn’t give him away. One pup noticed him, though, or at least the lens hidden in between the branches. The curious eight-month-old pup walked straight toward the bushes and stopped about 25 metres away. Marriott stood very still as his finger held the camera shutter button down. The faint clicking sound interrupted the quiet, a sound that the wolves could have easily mistaken for a woodpecker in the distance. The pup stared in his direction for 30 seconds and then joined the others as they walked out of sight.

Wildlife conservation work sits at the core of Marriott’s passion for photography. Marriott says he wants to draw a connection with his images between viewers and animals to encourage people to support conservation efforts. He co-founded Exposed Wildlife Conservancy, a charity focused on protecting apex predators. Grey wolves are the largest members in the wild of the family Canidae, which includes domestic dogs, and can be found across Canada. Up until around 200 years ago, wolves could be found all across North America, Europe and Asia, but their range has been reduced due to hunting and habitat loss.  

“These stamps are celebrating an iconic animal, one that’s persecuted too much right now,” says Marriott.

Coastal grey wolf by Michelle Valberg (Vancouver Island, B.C.)

To reach the dead humpback whale on a Vancouver Island beach, Michelle Valberg and her companion, Tom McPherson, had to walk through sticky mud at low tide for 10 kilometres. Why such an arduous feat? Because they knew coastal grey wolves would swing by to eat it. These wolves, found all along coastal British Columbia to southwestern Alaska, are powerful long-distance swimmers. Marine foods constitute up to 85 per cent of their diet, which includes salmon, seals and sea otters.

Valberg and McPherson watched the tide rise and fall for hours, hidden behind a band of rocks that resembled a cave. Valberg focused on taking everything in as the inescapable smell of dead whale filled her nose, knowing she was one of few people who would ever experience this. The hours stretched on as she waited for the wolves to wander close enough to get her shot until finally, one wolf approached the pair out of curiosity. “Wink,” so named because of its droopy eyes, stayed for half an hour. It sat, lay down, ate, hid behind a rock and drew closer. Without disturbing the animal, Valberg finally got her picture.

For Valberg, it’s crucial to ensure that she doesn’t influence the animal’s behaviour in any way, and avoid being detected. She hopes these stamps help raise awareness among the public about why it’s important to protect them.

“The more we can show how beautiful these animals are, the more people will hopefully be connected to these creatures,” says Valberg.

Arctic grey wolf by Ejaz Khan (Near Grise Fiord, Nunavut)

After spending 11 days trying and failing to find traces of Arctic grey wolf, Ejaz Khan couldn’t handle it anymore. He could no longer stand being alone with his brain constantly questioning himself. So, Khan and Raymond, the tracker accompanying him, packed up, feeling disappointed and took off. But suddenly, the snowmobile came to a stop. The normally serious Raymond was smiling as he pointed to the small figures ambling towards them. Arctic grey wolves rarely encounter humans and freely roam their habitat, which ranges across the Canadian High Arctic to the coastal areas of northern and eastern Greenland.

Eight wolves stood less than three meters away from the pair. Not sure what compelled him to do so, but as the wolves began to retreat, Khan followed them, leaving behind his camera. The male alpha’s fur stood up when it noticed Khan following, and then it pushed its front paws into the snow — it would not allow Khan to take a step further. The tense moment intensified with the sound of Raymond cocking his gun, ready to shoot if the animal charged. The alpha male and Khan held eye contact as the former stepped back. After a few moments, the wolf pack finally turned and walked to the top of a hill. Khan took a picture as the alpha male looked straight at him. They once again connected with each other. Before heading away, the wolf turned back one last time and gave Khan a look, one that said, ‘This is not the last time.’ Khan hopes he sees the wolves again, as it’s an experience he’ll never forget.

“What I have captured is less than one per cent of (the wolves’) beauty and the landscape,” he says.

Eastern wolf by Michael Runtz (Algonquin Provincial Park, Ont.)