Howler (Animorphs) - Howlers in Animorphs

Howlers in Animorphs

The Howlers are mentioned in the tenth book in the Animorphs series, The Android, when the Chee Erek King explains that it was the Howlers who destroyed the Chee's creators, the ancient, dog-like Pemalite race. The creatures are first featured in book twenty-six, The Attack, when Crayak and the Ellimist have a contest between seven of the species and the Animorphs, along with Erek when the Ellimist sought to protect a race called the Iskoort, who would play a vital role in the future. In the fight, Jake manages to defeat one Howler by tricking it into falling off a cliff – subsequently acquiring it during the fall – and the Animorphs subsequently manage to download their own memories into a Howler using Iskoort technology, causing the Howler to realize that humans and other species are, in fact, sentient beings with feelings and emotions. Crayak quickly destroyed the infected Howlers, to keep this information from reaching the collective memory. However, a single memory ended up getting through; a memory of Cassie and Jake kissing. The Ellimist informs the Animorphs that this, in effect, destroys the Howlers as a threat, as a memory of love makes them useless to Crayak. For Jake's role in this, Crayak has great hatred of him, and has worked harder to destroy him than the other Animorphs.

The Howlers are known to have wiped out several species, including the Nostnavay, Graffen's Children and most notably, the Pemalites. They can, in effect, be seen as the opposite of the Pemalites---who were created by the Ellimist to spread life---though both species, interestingly, are noted for wanting nothing more than to have fun.