The Guardian...I lived with Wolves

Read the interesting and real history by Shaun Ellis and friends. He has also written a book about his remarkable experience. It is published by Harper Collins. 


Source: http://www.speakup.com.br

The Guardian

I lived with Wolves

Like most Young children, i grew up with an innate fear of wolves. It wasn’t until I was a bit older and saw a wolf in a zoo that I realised how far away this animal was from the mythological creature I’d learned about in books and films.

FASCINATION

I grew up in a small village in Norfolk and was always interested in the natural world and wild animals. I knew I wanted to work with them in some way when I was older. In my 20s, I read about an American naturalist, Levi Holt, who ran a wolf research centre in Idaho and I thought, “That’s where I want to go.” I sold everything I had and raised enough money for my plane fare. When I met the biologists working on the reservation, they took me on as a biologist, teaching me how to track wolves and collect data for them.

THE FAMILY

Even though the other biologists and scientists thought it was dangerous, I soon wanted to get closer to the wolves really to understand their behaviour. I couldn’t help wondering. Could a human become part of their family?

INTO THE WILD

After a year of two of working for the centre and getting to know the area – a mountainous landscape covered in forest – I moved to the wild the first time I got up close to a wolf, within around 30 metres, any fear I had quickly turned to respect. I stayed in a den area, a remote place where wolves look after their yound, and very soon one pack began to trust me. I lived with them day and night, and from the start they accepted me into their group. I ate what they ate, mostly raw deer and elk, with they would often bring back for me, or fruit and berries. I never fell ill and my body adapted quickly to its new diet. It’s easy to look back and think, “What horrible food,” but when you haven’t eaten for a week, it looks appetizing.

I couldn’t hunt, but I soon became useful looking after the younger ones. I would spend days sitting outside the den, observing their behavior and trying to make sure they kept out of danger.

A SCARY MOMENT

I stayed with the same pack of over a year, watching pups grow to adulthood. I never missed human contact during that time. I felt a tremendous sense of belonging with the wolves. Whenever I began to think about my old life. I would quickly switch my thoughts back, in terms of survival. I had constantly to focus on my new habitat. Although I didn’t see anyone, there were people black at the reservation and I had a rendezvous point where I could leave messages if I felt I was in danger. I was only ever truly scared on two occasions once, when all the wolves were feeding, I ate the wrong piece of meat – there is a restrict hierarchy of who eats what part of animal and one of the wolves leapt on me in seconds because of my mistake. He took my entire face in his mouth and started to squeeze hard. I could feel the bones in my jaw begin to bend and in that split-second I realised how vulnerable I was and how restrained they were most of the time.

PROTECTION

The other time, I wanted to get a drink from the stream and one of the wolves stopped me dead in my tracks. I thought, “This is the end, he’s going to finish me off.” An hour of so later, he started to lick my face and we both went to the stream for a drink. There I saw evidence of recent bear tracks and droppings, and I realised this was why he guarded me. I would almost certainly have been killed but, more importantly, my tracks would have led back to their young, so it was for their protection.

MY NEW LIFE

Eventually I had to leave. Life expectancy in that short of environment was short and I felt it was time to come back to society. Returning to the world was a tremendous culture shock, but I knew I could do a lot with the knowledge I’d acquired. I now urn a centre in Devon that helps wild and captive wolves, and offers educational courses. I want to show people that wolves aren’t savage and ruthless –they are balanced and trustworthy creatures that place their family above all else. 


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