NG KIDS - Wolf Encounter!

Wolf Encounter!

NG Kids’ editor, Lauren, went on an exciting adventure to meet some wolves at The UK Wolf Conservation Trust, and even took one for a WILD walk!

“Hoooooooooooowwwwwlllllll!” You can hear the wolves living at The UK Wolf Conservation Trust before you see them… the wolves’ famous howls can be heard by humans over six kilometres away! “Wolves use all kinds of sounds to communicate”, says Toni Shelbourne, who looks after the wolves at The Trust in Reading, Berkshire. “Howls are great for communicating long-distance, but among their pack (their family group), they also use growls, whimpers and barks. They talk to each other a lot!”

Toni and her fellow keepers at The Trust have learned to understand wolf speak, which means they are able to interact with them in a way that could be dangerous for other humans. “We spend a lot of time getting to know the wolves – and they all have different personalities!” says Toni. “And although you can’t tame a wolf, by us spending time with them, they do become ‘habituated’, which means they become used to humans and it’s then safe for us to interact with them here at The Trust”.

Howdy, Mr Wolf! Just as we humans have certain ways of greeting and interacting with each other, so do the wolves. Before I can meet Duma – the incredible wolf that we take for a walk – I’m told not to touch her on the head, as this would be rude and she wouldn’t like it. It’s similar to a stranger coming up to you and stroking you on the head – how would you feel about that?!
Toni also tells me that when we first meet, Duma will come up and give me a sniff. Wolves have an excellent sense of smell and this is how they track down prey, and recognise another pack’s territory in the wild. I hold out my hand and Duma sniffs – then licks it, before I stroke her belly. It’s the first time I’ve ever been licked by a wolf. I hope she doesn’t think I’m too tasty!

NG Kids reader Talia meets Duma

Walk on the wild side Now we’re ready to take Duma for her walk – although it’s more like Duma is walking her handlers! She is one powerful canine, and it takes two people to hold her long lead. As we walk, she sniffs and marks her territory, just like our pet dogs. But weighing up to 54kg, standing 90cm at the shoulder, and with a bite twice as powerful as a pit bull terrier, I have to remind myself that Duma is a wolf, not a pet!

Wolves are found in many countries around the world, from Poland to Canada, but sadly, because of hunting and loss of habitat, their numbers are falling. Wolves even used to roam wild in the British Isles, but it’s thought our last wolf was hunted in Scotland in 1743.

Wolves in danger “Wolves are sometimes hunted for their thick fur, but more often because they’re seen as a threat to farmers, sometimes attacking their livestock, like sheep and goats”, explains Toni. The Trust is working with local people in countries that still have wild wolf populations, to show them how to protect their animals by taking them in at night, and putting up electric fences that keep wolves out.

“If we lose big predators, like wolves, the environment becomes unbalanced”, says Toni. “Without wolves to eat grass-eating animals like deer, land becomes over-grazed, and this has a damaging effect on trees, plants and other animals. We’ve already seen this happen in the British Isles, where we no longer have large predators, like wolves and bears.”

As I say goodbye to Duma, I hope that Toni and her team will succeed in protecting the world’s remaining wolves, and help people to understand that humans and wolves really can live peacefully side by side. Who knows, maybe we’ll even see wolves roaming wild again in the British Isles one day. Howl amazing would that be?!

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust works to protect wild wolves and their habitats. To find out more, adopt a wolf, or arrange a wolf visit, go to ukwolf.org.

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