On August 17, 1996, the Delventhal family, a family of five from Pittsburgh, was reaching the end of their nine day canoe trip in Algonquin Park, Canada.After setting up camp for the night, Thom took his two eldest sons, Zach and Elijah, canoeing. His wife, Tracy, stayed with their youngest, Willem.Little did they know, a wolf was stalking their campsite, just waiting for an opportunity to strike.The forest around the site was really thick. You couldn’t see into the forest at all. Tracy heard something and just saw the side of something.Thom and the boys soon ran into a group of Scouts, who told them they had seen a wolf in the area earlier. The Delventhals joined in as the group started howling and heard a lone wolf howl back.According to Dr. Valerius Geist, howling lets the pack know that another wolf is there and may be encroaching on its territory.With a clear night sky above them, the family went back to camp and slept under the stars in their sleeping bags. As they drifted asleep, the unimaginable happened.A wolf attacked Zach and started dragging his body into the woods with its jaws clamped down on the 12 year old’s face.Zach later described it as feeling like he was strapped to the front of a jet. Everything started rushing by really, really quickly, and that was the point when he woke up.His scream from the agonizing pain scared the wolf off and got the attention of his parents. It was one long, ripping, blood curdling scream.As Zach’s parents rushed over, Tracy went to help her son while Thom focused on the looming threat of the wolf.Thom knew he had to make himself as big and as loud as he could be. Wolves are often scared of humans, and appearing large and threatening can increase your odds of fending one off.The wolf retreated.For a moment, Thom turned his attention to his son. But once he saw the damage, he knew Zach needed immediate medical attention.Except the wolf wasn’t done.Hungry and desperate, it attempted to come toward the family again. This time, Thom used his canoe paddle to strike his son’s attacker, doing everything he could to defend his family.With the wolf backing away a second time, the family quickly rushed into their canoe and attempted to make their way back to the mainland.Zach was badly injured and had begun thinking about dying. He eventually reached a nearby camp with his family, but they still had another four hours before they could reach a hospital.They made it.Following a four hour surgery and more than 80 stitches to close his wounds, Zach slowly recovered from the attack.Park rangers decided the wolf posed a threat to other campers and lured it near the Delventhal campsite. Once spotted, they shot and killed the 55 pound, or 25 kilogram, predator.For the Delventhals, what began as the final night of a family canoe trip had turned into a terrifying fight for their son’s life.