A day among wolves or a tribute to the brother Wolf

Today I would like to pay a tribute to my soul animal, the one that gives me my persona name. I wrote this blog entry already  while ago so I had to adjust some sentences. Please note too: I was in no way requested to write the below by any of the two wolf organizations I write about. I definitely did not get any money for this. I write from my heart and soul, not for money or fame.

I have always been a huge all animal lover but, of all animals on Earth, the wolf might as well be the one who most touches and enters my heart. The wolf might as well symbolize all that we, humans, once were and have stopped being ever since materialism and money came our way. We got so far away from our brother wolf that we even demonized it through fairy tales and other stories, as if we wanted to suppress our very own wild nature. The wolf has then, very sadly become THE enemy for so many of us, when it represents that nature we lost so long ago.

As a child, and just like many other children, I was afraid of the “big bad wolf”. I truly believed it would come after me if I misbehaved or didn’t eat my soup. I was even told that I had to go to sleep early because if at midnight I was still awake, the wolves would come to fetch me. Until one day my parents went to the local video store and rented a film called White Fang based on Jack London’s book with the same title. This film completely changed my life, my views on wolves and the wildlife. Later on, the epic Dances with Wolves with Kevin Costner stamped this absolute adoration. Not only did I lose my fear as I learned to respect and love this creature to the point that, as an adult, I dedicated a few years of my life to teach and educate people about them at the Iberian Wolf Recovery Center in my origin country, Portugal. It was the most absolutely amazing feeling to see children entering the premises initially feeling afraid and suspicious, only to see them later leaving while saying “Wolves are our friends!”. I really hope I helped make a difference. If you are a parent, pretty please don’t fuel “big bad wolf” bs stories. You will be lying to your child. Wolves just are. Not bad, not good, they just are what they are.

 Life changed for me, though, and emigrating made me have to leave the center, even though I always pay a visit when I am back to my country. There is actually no other way. I HAVE to go there and feel their energy. I have now been in South Africa for 10 years and, as much as this country is an absolute wonder in terms of wildlife, something was missing: wolves. Until I got to know about the Husky Romi Wolf Sanctuary, nearly 300kms away from Johannesburg. I was quite surprised and curious about the fact that there were wolves in Africa so, on the long Easter weekend of 2016, I made up my mind: I would go and camp there even if just for one night.

Gosh, did they recall so many memories! Nothing can ever ever replace the amazing feeling of howling with them, especially when you know that one of the reasons why wolves howl is to bond with their fellow pack members. The feeling is so humbling, can’t be described by words, you have to live and feel it.

On a sad note, it’s devastating to know the stories behind the so many wolves, hybrids and huskies that have ended up in Africa. Please note, wolves are NOT indigenous of South Africa. Altogether, this center has about 250 animals. None of them can ever go back to the wild, something they have in common with the wolves at the IWRC I mentioned above. Some were brought to South African zoos and now find a place to spend their old years in the center. Others were brought to mate with dogs in the hope that their offspring would become good watch dogs. No way, a hybrid is too wild to guard whatever, even though, yes, they will watch everything happen. They just won’t bite the guy trying to break into your house. Not surprisingly, they ended up being dumped for being “useless”. Others, even more sadly, were brought from other countries (unfortunately you can buy a wolf online if you have the money...) so that they could be hunted as trophies. Yes, we humans, are the most loving species on Earth, we all know that... Luckily the center has managed to spot some cases and rescued those animals who, otherwise, would now be on the wall of some disgusting rich hunter. I can only hope that they can rescue as many wolves and hybrids as possible even though this means more mouths to feed at this center which is painstakingly doing all they can to look after these special animals and educate those who go for a visit.

I left with the bittersweet feeling that even though I would so much prefer that those animals were roaming free with their families in the lands they come from, they can at least spend the last years of their lives in a place where they are loved and protected from the traps and guns of human greed.

We, humans, should re-learn with our brothers and sisters wolves and recover our natural instincts and feelings. It is not surprising that the wolf was almost worshipped by indigenous peoples like the Northern-American Natives. They did learn with the wolf and lived in perfect harmony with their natural surroundings. They had all they needed, there was no space for greed.  As the famous song sings “In wildness is the preservation of the world, so seek the wolf in thyself.” (Metallica – Of Wolf and Man – The Black Album, 1991)