Wolf

These are magnificent creatures. Smart, wily, and met with fear and respect by anyone within sight of one. The wolf pack live and hunt together and it would appear that there are very few unprovoked attacks on humans. The most dangerous encounter would be with a lone wolf as he is likely rabid and highly aggressive as was seen in the story of Old Yeller. Do not run. Sometimes shouting and a careful, slow backward walk will avert tragedy. If you're with your dog he'll likely want to confront the wolf in order to protect you and there's not much you can do in that situation. The idea of leaving your pet to face this giant, fierce animal is sickening but likely necessary. In a fur-flying fight with a single rabid wolf your dog may have a remote chance of survival but since there's usually a pack Fido's only chance to make it home with you is if you're armed or you can convince your dog to run away as that would also give him a chance.

As our population keeps increasing in size more and more of nature's creatures have less and less room, habitat. Encounters with wild animals struggling for survival become more prevalent and news of such is beamed throughout the world via the internet. Man's early encounters with wolves in the U.S. (1920-1930) began a federal extermination program that left them near extinction. The story of Little Red Riding Hood, those horrid leg traps, and the shoot on sight mentality of our great-grandparents has engendered a perpetuating fear when there really ought not be one. Most wolves avoid man (they're smart, remember) and unless you're hiking and stumble on a recent kill with the pack present you'll likely rarely have any trouble.



Grab your science book and check out this classification:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C.lupus

(anyone have a good song to remember this hierarchy?)

I found the following information online and cannot attest to its veracity but appears to be within the realm of possibility. As with everything else in our current society (global warming) there seems to be agenda based truth and without first hand knowledge of the specific subject we're at the whim of said perspectives minus our common sense.


As with rabid wolves, the biologist can say, "There are no `documented' cases of wild healthy wolves attacking humans." In order to be "documented" these unreasonable criteria must be met:

1. The wolf has to be killed, examined and found to be healthy.

2. It must be proven that the wolf was never kept in captivity in its entire life.

3. There must be eyewitnesses to the attack.

4. The person must die from their wounds (bites are generally not considered attacks according to the biologists).

That is a "documented" attack.


Now, when it comes to supporting the wolf's right to live I have sympathy for the above criteria. Perhaps if this is true, they have saved many a life since otherwise there would have been tons more reported wolf attacks and their subsequent eradication. Still, knowing the truth about things makes for better assessment and more harmonious living.

I was asked recently if I have been able to keep the wolf from the door. I decidedly do not like this expression.