Posted September 11, 2013 Honestly I would not recommend ANY pet/wild animal hybrids to anyone unless they knew what they were getting into and knew what they were doing. Pet/wild animal hybrids can be extremely dangerous. Bandwagoning with things like this is because it's somehow "cool" to own a potentially dangerous animal is what gets people mauled and/or killed and the animals in question persecuted. Cougars attack people because people invade, and cougars are highly territorial. The same could be said for wolves, but I'd also venture that wolves are significantly more capable of moving elsewhere than cougars. I see this problem like this: I question why wolves are going after the livestock in the first place. Part of it is the easy prey factor, yes, but you also have to look at what the ranchers are doing to CAUSE that behaviour. Ranchers sometimes move into wolf territory, wittingly or not, in effect causing their own problems, and then they complain about it, which as far as I'm concerned is laughable at best. I have no sympathy for ranchers who do this wittingly and then complain that their livestock is being attacked by a wolf population that was there first. (I imagine better and/or higher fencing could be a big help, too, not those silly flimsy things I always see that could let anything but large livestock through...>.>) Wolves need population management, but I imagine that if we culled the prey population somewhat then the predator populations would fall accordingly because there's less for them to eat. This is where non-sport hunters could be useful. For the record, I don't consider myself more important than the life in the outside, though. All life is important in some way, even though I still totally kill bugs. Sport hunting (and trophy hunting) is stupid and ridiculous. If you're going to kill something, have some manners and take the whole carcass home. One could always sell the meat and whatever else isn't wanted. But this probably a discussion for a different topic ^^ Wolves and coyotes are of the same genus Canis but they are different species (the common grey wolf being Canis lupus and the common coyote Canis latrans). Wolves do not "turn into" coyotes because they're in cities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_wolf and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote And for the record there have been wolf hunts in Alaska, too, and the last time I read about them, the Yellowstone pack was doing rather well, but I don't remember how long ago I read about them. Just to point something out: things can be pollinated by humans instead of bees. I believe there is one place in Asia IIRC where this already has to be done because there aren't bees left. However, it is an extremely time consuming and difficult task from what I understand, and it really makes you appreciate what you no longer have. Wolves seem "overrated" because they are so well-liked. I like them because they're majestic and pretty. U: (And wolf puppies are so cute ;a; ) I didn't mean literally turn into coyotes. I meant they would start attacking people like coyotes. And hunts in Alaska are part of my problem. And people are starting to kill Yellowstone wolves. The problem I have with hybrids is the fact that most of the people who buy them don't care for them responsibly by doing things like leaving them alone with children. If a wolf or a hybrid kills a child, they will be killed themselves despite the fact that it is almost always the owners fault. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2013 http://news.sciencemag.org/plants-animals/...2%80%99s-wolves Good news, hopefully the Isle Royale wolf population can grow and reach healthy numbers without the need to introduce new wolves. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) The problem I have with hybrids is the fact that most of the people who buy them don't care for them responsibly by doing things like leaving them alone with children. If a wolf or a hybrid kills a child, they will be killed themselves despite the fact that it is almost always the owners fault. That happens with dogs too though, and the dog will also be killed. At least with wolfdogs most people are more suspicious about them and they are much more careful about child and wolfdog interactions. With regular dogs people seem to assume that all dogs are okay with children and they don't think twice about leaving their kids alone with them. It's crazy. I know a lot of german shepherd owners who have a problem with strange kids running up to their dogs and petting them without the owners permission, and the parents just watch like that's perfectly acceptable to run up and touch a strange dog. Edited September 12, 2013 by Syaoransbear Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2013 Neat little timbit of info here: There are absolutely NO wild wolves in Ireland. Why aren't there any? Simple. Its because "back in the day" wolf hunting was so popular there that they bred a dog specifically FOR hunting wolves (the Irish Wolf Hound). They were quickly hunted to extinction ^^ P.S Wolves are so pretty <3 Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2013 Yay! I always love to see a newer population of wolves growng And wolves/wolf hybrids are even more likely to kill people, and when they do, it makes wolves in the wild look bad. Let's use one of my favorite examples, shall we? Bottlenose Dolphins have attacked people quite a few times, both in the wild and captivity. However, few facilities have stopped working with them in the water. However, when an orca kills someone, which is only the...sixth (?) captive orca attack, with no wild attacks ever recorded, facilities have to get out of the water and build a fancy floor. It may be because orcas are bigger than dolphin, and it is more likely to kill someone if they attack. But still in one case, people did almost nothing, and in another, they freaked out and did a bunch of stuff. Same with hybrids and wolves if a dog kills someone, I'm not sure exactly what happens, but if a wolf/hybrid kills someone they are almost always banned from that state eventually. Not to mention if a wolf/hybrid bites someone they are immediately killed for rabies tests. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 12, 2013 Yay! I always love to see a newer population of wolves growng And wolves/wolf hybrids are even more likely to kill people, and when they do, it makes wolves in the wild look bad. Let's use one of my favorite examples, shall we? Same with hybrids and wolves if a dog kills someone, I'm not sure exactly what happens, but if a wolf/hybrid kills someone they are almost always banned from that state eventually. Not to mention if a wolf/hybrid bites someone they are immediately killed for rabies tests. Wolves and their hybrids are not more likely to kill someone than a dog. Wolves and their hybrids are huge cowards. I met 3 high contents and a low content in their yard once. Two of the high contents were super scared of me, one high content only approached me because she was told to by her owner, and the low content probably only came up to me because I had food and she had a treat obsession. You'd be way more safe walking into someone's backyard who had a wolf or wolf hybrid than walking into the backyard of someone who had a breed of dog that is known for being protective. The wolf or the wolf hybrid would just hide. Unless you happen to be a squealing baby or an infant, then they might become predatory, but plenty of other dogs with high prey drive would too. But you are right about if a wolfdog attacks someone then legislation goes crazy. But that's kind of the same with all of the 'hot' breeds at the moment like pitbulls, german shepherds, rottweilers, dobermans, etc. BSL is getting ridiculous. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 13, 2013 Wolves and their hybrids are not more likely to kill someone than a dog. Wolves and their hybrids are huge cowards. I met 3 high contents and a low content in their yard once. Two of the high contents were super scared of me, one high content only approached me because she was told to by her owner, and the low content probably only came up to me because I had food and she had a treat obsession. You'd be way more safe walking into someone's backyard who had a wolf or wolf hybrid than walking into the backyard of someone who had a breed of dog that is known for being protective. The wolf or the wolf hybrid would just hide. Unless you happen to be a squealing baby or an infant, then they might become predatory, but plenty of other dogs with high prey drive would too. But you are right about if a wolfdog attacks someone then legislation goes crazy. But that's kind of the same with all of the 'hot' breeds at the moment like pitbulls, german shepherds, rottweilers, dobermans, etc. BSL is getting ridiculous. And really anytime something happens with an exotic something like this tends to happen. When one bill gets written up it usually includes more than one species. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 13, 2013 And really anytime something happens with an exotic something like this tends to happen. When one bill gets written up it usually includes more than one species. Yup. Where I live, we have all species of boas and pythons banned. Even the little guys! Share this post Link to post
Posted September 13, 2013 Wolves and their hybrids are not more likely to kill someone than a dog. Wolves and their hybrids are huge cowards. I met 3 high contents and a low content in their yard once. Two of the high contents were super scared of me, one high content only approached me because she was told to by her owner, and the low content probably only came up to me because I had food and she had a treat obsession. You'd be way more safe walking into someone's backyard who had a wolf or wolf hybrid than walking into the backyard of someone who had a breed of dog that is known for being protective. The wolf or the wolf hybrid would just hide. Unless you happen to be a squealing baby or an infant, then they might become predatory, but plenty of other dogs with high prey drive would too. But you are right about if a wolfdog attacks someone then legislation goes crazy. But that's kind of the same with all of the 'hot' breeds at the moment like pitbulls, german shepherds, rottweilers, dobermans, etc. BSL is getting ridiculous. You're right as they aren't very aggressive. What I meant was that their prey drive is much more easily triggered. If a dog sees a running child, it will chase it but probably not kill it. If a wolf/hybrid sees a running child, it has a higher chance of killing it. However, some hybrids act like dogs no matter how much wolf content they have, and some act like wolves. It's completely unpredictable, as I said before. My favorite way to put it is if you treat a wolf hybrid like a dog, you'll be in trouble no, after what if they display any wolf tendencies (ripping apart your couch and your cats) many people will give them to a shelter to find a "better home and the animal will often be killed in the end. But if you treat a hybrid like a wolf, you won't be shocked by its wolf tendencies, and so it will be much easier to handle it. And why did they ban pythons? They really think a ball python can kill someone?! Ugh...people... I actually live snakes. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 13, 2013 And why did they ban pythons? They really think a ball python can kill someone?! Ugh...people... I actually live snakes. No one seems to have any idea why, but they think it's just pure laziness. Instead of having to go through the species and say which are okay and which aren't, it's easier to just ban them all. It's not like they are even concerned about people releasing them and having them invade our ecosystem because our winters kill everything exotic. Share this post Link to post
Posted September 17, 2013 This is going to sound like a very immature remark, but that's so STUPID! I go to camp at a small zo where I love, and we were walking around a ball python and telling people facts about them, and this one lady is like, "so, these won't eat you up and kill ya?" I had literally just told her that they only grow to about three-six feet. Share this post Link to post
Posted October 3, 2013 http://forums.dragcave.net/index.php?showtopic=154407 I put some of my Wolf Conservation paper on there. Read, please. :3 Share this post Link to post
Posted November 18, 2013 After being unavailable for the past month or more, the Wolf Watch cam is back up. The wolves were active this morning, but now only one resting wolf is in camera view. Share this post Link to post
Posted December 15, 2013 Oooooo a wolf watch cam~ Always amazing to spy on those innocent animals hurhur. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 10, 2014 I love wolves. I find them interesting and amazing creatures. I like reading fictional books about them though it is not my first choice of fiction. I'd like to be a wolf they seem so free and they are really beautiful. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 10, 2014 I love wolves, too. I penciled my older sister a picture of one walking through the snow for her birthday a couple years ago. It was really good and art contest-worthy, except that her b-day was in the summer, and the only way for me to get into an art contest was through school, so... yeah. Right now I am painting one, but I ran out of gray I was in the car with my dad early one morning, going up the mountains in Colorado, and I thought I saw a wolf howling on the side of the road, but I wasn't sure, and nobody (including myself) heard it, so I might not have. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 11, 2014 I like wolves and there's much of them in my country! The professionals don't know how many there currently is but there is much. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 13, 2014 Overrated, IMO, as some people have already said. I can't disagree that they're beautiful animals, though. But people seem to have them on a pedestal of what a great animal should be ("so beautiful, intelligent, amazing, omg people need to be more like wolves"). Share this post Link to post
Posted April 13, 2014 I love wolves, they are beautiful and smart. That being said, they are over rated. I'd probably like them a lot more if they weren't EVERYWHERE. Need a good looking wild animal slapped on something? Wolves. It is always wolves(sometimes bears). Wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves. Books, movies, clothes, plushes, puzzles, etc... the animal subsections are saturated in wolves. But I guess that makes sense, in the end. Humans have always had a thing for wolves, always. If we didn't, we wouldn't have dogs. Share this post Link to post
Posted April 23, 2014 I love wolves, they are beautiful and smart. That being said, they are over rated. I'd probably like them a lot more if they weren't EVERYWHERE. Need a good looking wild animal slapped on something? Wolves. It is always wolves(sometimes bears). Wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves wolves. Books, movies, clothes, plushes, puzzles, etc... the animal subsections are saturated in wolves. But I guess that makes sense, in the end. Humans have always had a thing for wolves, always. If we didn't, we wouldn't have dogs. Agreed! Ps nice avatar and saying thing....fox says a lot of things none of which are ding ding ding Share this post Link to post
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