Trainers Sergei and Irina Popov took the lead of the pack
No matter how much I wrote about training in the circus, I never came across such a “banal” animal as a wolf. Elephants, lions, tigers - in assortment. Dogs are in great abundance. Wolf? Yes, for some reason their brother-tamer avoids them. And then, by chance, I’m walking through the backstage of Grandfather Durov’s Corner (the theater turns exactly 100 years old the other day) - hello, please: in the street cages are sitting handsome men (as it later turned out, beauties) - well-groomed, powerful, happy faces, straight little pussycats, until they show their teeth... Who are they? Where? Let's get acquainted (not with wolves, of course, but with their “leaders”): hereditary trainers Sergei Popov and his wife Irina Sidorova-Popova, Durov’s main specialists in fanged animals, almost all of whose secrets they will tell “MK”.
Sergey Popov with his favorites.
“Being conscious, wolves are much more smarter than dogs»
Let's make a reservation right away: a new attraction with wolves is just being prepared; In general, 34-year-old Sergei and Ira worked at the Russian State Circus before “Durov”; they left for two years; Sergei assisted his father, People's Artist Alexander Popov, already 14 years old. I “tried” a variety of animals (geese, cats, pigeons, etc.). There are no loved ones or unloved ones, but Sergei’s assistants notice that he is most inclined towards wolves (and there are three of them).
“Still, I try,” says Sergei, “so that there are no favorites.” It’s just that more effort and time was spent on wolves. Which is not surprising. And it turned out like this. We - young, strong, ambitious - were taken to the Durov Theater with the number “Cat House” (which I inherited from my dad); my wife began working with a donkey, as well as a wild boar, but, alas, now, due to swine fever, we were forbidden to let him on stage.
- At least they didn’t kill you?
- Of course not. This is clearly a bureaucratic matter: you have to tick a box in a certain department. But essentially it is devoid of any meaning: it would be nice if we had the first and last pig in Moscow. But there is a sea of them - people keep them at home! But no: all the attention of the bureaucratic apparatus is focused on ours, the only wild boar registered in the capital. The quirks of Russia, what can I say... And with wolves it’s simple: the artistic director (multi-trainer Yuri Durov) called to him and pointed to the puppies: do you want to take them?
— And you weren’t afraid that the idea would fail?
- I had no experience, but... doubts away! We started reading literature, watching scientific and not-so-scientific films - so what? We came across a banal truth: ALL scientists contradict each other. So the bitter truth was learned personal experience. At first there were four wolves (all sisters); the fourth is the last one. He was smaller than the others, weaker, no kind of thing. The pack beat him up a little. Well, they sent him to a good place, and now he’s living happily there. Beautiful animals must be shown on stage.
— Trainers don’t like to talk about their sores, but still, how dangerous is a wolf?
— We took them at the age of 25 days; but there were accidents... not with us, with my assistants - two fingers were seriously bitten. How dangerous are wild animals in general? It would seem that wolves are very similar to dogs, but domesticate them or not, the essence is the same: at a certain moment, instinct begins to dominate consciousness. Moreover, while conscious, wolves are much smarter than dogs. But... a dog remains a dog 24 hours a day, and a wolf's brain turns off - and good luck with it: for example, for my pets I am a dad, a friend, the leader of the pack, but as soon as they get very scared, I stop being one. This is where they pose the biggest threat.
- Aren’t you scared?
“We can’t be afraid, we need to be afraid.” Animals feel everything: the cockerel will peck you, and the goose will pinch you if you walk through the village in fear. I am an experienced person and I know roughly what to expect from wolves. You have heard many stories about how people tried to keep tigers, lions at home... all these “experiments” ended in failure. A predator can be “good-natured” and “domestic” 99% of the time, but 5 minutes of the triumph of nature over consciousness is enough to remember with a shudder the rest of your life...
If you're afraid of wolves, don't go to Durov's Corner.
- Why are trainers reluctant to take on wolves - it’s spectacular?
— The circus developed its own directions and genres a long time ago, and people, being blinkered, do not want to cross them. After all, a separate school for training wolves did not appear. Moreover, in the circus everyone is aimed at quick results, there’s not much time, and it’s very difficult to train wolves! (True, I have she-wolves: they say it’s easier with boys.)
— Do they jump over the barrier?
- It's a piece of cake. With dogs, you need a lot of rehearsals to finally understand what you want from them. Wolves understand everything immediately, from the first lesson. And as long as they are interested, they do it. And if you get tired, the wolf starts pretending to be a felt boot...
“They don’t understand,” the regent said squeaky to Ivan Bezdomny.”
- That's right, but it's impossible to force! A wolf is not a dog. Need to be motivated. For others, motivation may be through coercion. This will not work with wolves: they are a priori stronger than humans.
- And they are not afraid...
- They are afraid, generally cowardly by nature. Wolves have a very high pain threshold. And literally trying to reach them is absolutely useless. Any punishment will only make you angrier. Which exit? You must have a strong inner rod. He must become an unquestioning authority for them, and this is achieved by other methods - through an individual approach, through all sorts of tricks, through the invention of new motivations each time. Then the stage (playpen) will become the natural meaning of life for them.
“Try to explain to the gray one that the sheep is a friend.”
“In nature, wolves hunt ungulates, but here you don’t have to chase anyone—doesn’t that make them dumber?”
“I want to reassure you: hunting instincts do not go away. All the more masterly is my trick when a real sheep comes on stage with a flower in its teeth. A wolf runs to her, takes a flower from his mouth, gives it to his brother, and he gives it to my wife... Of course, it was difficult to explain to them that for some reason the sheep was their friend.
In the arena, a wolf clicks his teeth!
- And you don’t have to eat it...
- So, they don’t eat her not because she is their friend, but because she is my friend. This is important for wolves: the leader’s friend is his own. I don't know about hunting. Of course, if you release them...
- ...in town?
- No, into the forest - they will most likely die there, because they don’t know how to hunt (although we have one friend who does reverse story: turns “domestic” wolves into wild ones, successfully releasing them into the wild). Our she-wolves hunt sparrows that accidentally fly into their enclosure. I feel sorry for the birds. One movement: the wolves' reaction is crazy.
- So what, you walk around the stage without sticks?
-What is the stick for? Here predators show their teeth to each other - they don’t even need to bite: by the grin your brother understands that the problem is closed. As you can see, as a leader, I don’t have huge wolf teeth, they are replaced by a stick, but you need to “bar your teeth” appropriately, with meaning! Nowadays we hardly take sticks: the relationship is close. We are like a family... By the way, they are very gentle animals. Much nicer than dogs. And they rejoice at our arrival much more enthusiastically.
- What does this mean?
— They pee out of happiness if they haven’t seen each other for several days. They have a very weak bladder.
- And then they can come up and lick you in the face?
- Lick? They just lick like crazy! They love much more than dogs, but... this love is not submissive, but free. The dog demonstrates its love by trying to do everything for its owner and tie itself into a knot. And wolves love... because they love! But they won’t do anything for you for the sake of love. Nothing.
— He won’t give up his life, he won’t serve on the border?
- No, he won’t give up his life. He will be the first to run away at the slightest danger.
- But it’s interesting, in nature a wolf does not disdain a dog if it gets in his teeth...
— As soon as they appeared, we immediately began raising the wolf cubs with dogs (I have 26 of them, all of different sizes). Until a certain point, dogs were gods for wolves: the cubs, being already large, humiliated themselves in front of the smallest mongrel, turned over on their backs, peed themselves, in every possible way showing “you’re the boss - I’m a fool.” At the same time, almost all the dogs were terribly disdainful of wolf cubs: if a wolf drinks from a common drinking bowl, the dogs will no longer approach it.
- Well, someone was loyal to the wolves?
“A couple of doggies tried to play with them, but after a while they couldn’t cope with the wolf’s games: they fumble very hard.” Most of the scratches and abrasions we have are not because the wolves bit, but because they played like that. When they are happy, they hug so tightly that it hurts very much... from emotions. In short, then the wolves grew up and stopped accepting dogs as their own. And it’s better not to bring them together. The exceptions are Czechoslovakian wolfdogs (experimental crossed half-dogs): we bring the puppy to the cage, and they lick the wolf... But I categorically do not recommend keeping wolfdogs at home either!
— Do you know why in nature wolves kill foxes but don’t eat them?
- I think they are defending their territory: both of them are hunters...
- Although they are relatives.
“It happens that relatives are also ready to kill each other for the sake of an apartment.
“It’s wonderful to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a predator.”
- So, back to the question: why are wolves the most cowardly?
— My father also said that “even a stupid animal can be taught for a long time, and it will still work; worst of all is a cowardly animal.” Wolves are extremely cautious, they are very afraid of humans. It's a phobia. Any stranger is a direct threat, it’s genetics, you can’t eradicate them. They are afraid of everything new: if a feather appears on the stage (and yesterday it was not there) or a rag is hung (which was not hanging yesterday) - for the wolves this is a disaster: “you can’t go there,” instinct tells them. So overcoming their fears was the most difficult part for me in communicating with them.
Irina Popova and her best friend.
“They come out to the public, to the people, everyone is clapping, laughing...
“That’s exactly why they were accustomed to loud music from birth.” They put on a big speaker for the wolf cubs... and in general spent all the time with them, leaving only at night, and only because it was impossible to stay in the theater. We didn’t know how or what, so we learned from each other. The cubs slowly got used to people - they took them everywhere: to rehearsals, to meetings.
— If a firecracker goes off during a show, will the wolves run away from the stage?
- I completely admit it. But it can be treated. Although it is noticeably more difficult than with other predators. We still took wolves even to television: at first they were afraid, but when the crucial moment came, they calmed down and behaved perfectly.
— Trainers often say that their teeth cannot tolerate unfamiliar odors, in particular alcohol or cologne...
“Of course, it doesn’t smell too bad from me, but, in my opinion, they don’t care.” One of my assistants smokes - I don’t care either. No, a phobia of smells is nonsense. Wolves are smart: they understand who came to them, and it doesn’t matter what he smells like. What do you! You can generally have a heart-to-heart talk with them: they know the words, they have a good idea (when they want) of what exactly you are talking about.
- What can dogs do, but wolves can’t?
— Almost everything is the same; the only thing is that it is easier for an artist dog to walk on hind legs: This is due to the structure of the skeleton, this is difficult for a wolf. It is easier to teach a dog to hold a stick; By instinct, the wolf needs to immediately eat it, bite through it.
—What, by the way, are you feeding?
- Beef (one and a half kilograms per day per individual), but always on the bone (this is how their digestion works). At rehearsals we give liver, heart - this is a delicacy for them. The little wolf cubs were given meat and bone meal, cookies, and cottage cheese.
— They throw a ball to a dog while walking, it runs...
- Come on, the wolf will quickly get tired of this. Bring it twice - goodbye. What do they like? They love it when they are watered with a hose in the summer. They love to bathe in a bucket. And they are also terrible hooligans (also, by the way, a difference from good-boy dogs): wolves look like street punks, it’s in their character, they always want to do a little dirty trick, tear something, although they are wonderfully aware of what they are doing, and... they get even more excited about it. Yes, I can talk about them for hours: I love them very much!
- Well, but they said: “there are no favorites”!
Contents of the article:
Dogs are so similar to wolves that some breeds cannot be distinguished from wild predators. Therefore, many people wonder if they are related? After all, if you look closely, they have the same structure. How then does a wolf differ from a dog, is it just the habitat? Or maybe they can be tamed and they will help people?
Origin, similarities and differences between species
Few people know, but dogs and wolves belong to the same family and genus – canids. But this was not always the case; initially the former were identified as a separate species.
However, science does not stand still, and when it became possible to conduct high-quality analyzes of DNA and genetic drift, scientists proved that the wolf is the direct ancestor of domestic pets.
And it’s not for nothing that some breeds are so similar to forest orderlies. These include the northern Inuit, wolfdogs, and duckfoots. When you meet them in the forest, you won’t understand that it’s someone’s pet before your eyes.
However, knowing some features designated species, you can easily determine who is in front of you:
- The wolf does not wag its tail in greeting;
- The ears usually stand up, only occasionally does he press them to his head;
- Doesn't bark;
- Has larger teeth and fangs;
- The chest is wider than that of a dog of the same size.
Among other things, the forest dweller is particularly careful. He is not used to the person and will look studyingly. If you see footprints in the forest, then take a closer look at them.
In dogs, the distance between the toes will be narrower than in a wolf. The latter has a paw that seems to be spread out, as the front toes protrude more forward.
What does a wolf eat?
During the process of domestication, dogs' diets became more selective. They will not eat bugs or frogs, or their own kind.
Wolves are typical predators. Their food is:
- Any ungulates: in the forest - elk, wild boars, deer; in the desert - antelopes;
- Pets, including dogs;
- Small animals: hares, various rodents;
- Birds, their eggs and chicks;
- Corpses;
- On the sea coasts - seals and any carcasses washed ashore;
- In times of famine, these predators do not disdain frogs, large beetles, and even berries or mushrooms.
Residents of the steppe say that they are often met at the melon patch. Wolves raid at night to feast on melons and watermelons. The point here is not hunger, but thirsty. The steppes have dry, hot summers, and sometimes it happens that the already few streams and rivulets dry up. Then the animal has to quench its thirst in this way. 
Do wolves attack people?
There are different opinions on this matter. But with the exception of a few of them, it all boils down to this: forest predators dangerous. There are statistics that say that on average in the European part of Russia in 1870 - 1897, about 1,500 people were eaten. Now nothing has changed and this figure has remained approximately the same - about 200 dead and injured per year.
People are not the main food of the beast. And as the Russian zoologist M.P. Pavlov explains in his teachings, attacks occur only in extreme cases. Most of the animals that were caught after the killing turned out to have rabies.
This is often due to the area being extremely poor in natural production. When an animal begins to starve, it goes to a person.
On the other hand, American scientists are trying to refute the generally accepted opinion. They claim that the North American representatives living in their country do not rush at people, even if they climb into their lair.
One way or another, cases of attack are known and there are many of them. Almost every one of them ended fatally. Therefore, you should not treat a wolf like a dog, despite their similarities. 
Why don't wolves perform in the circus?
Yes, the presence of a wolf act in the circus repertoire is exotic, but such performances do exist. Man has learned to train more dangerous animals. Of course the forest robber poorly trained and there are several reasons for this:
- They live poorly in captivity, become depressed, begin to get sick and die quickly;
- They cannot resist their instincts. Even if they get used to a person, they quickly forget him and can bite him to death;
- They cannot stand noise, bright light and fuss around, as they are cowardly by nature. They are easily frightened and then irreparable things can happen.
There is one well-known experience in Russia when a trainer managed to create a real performance with these predators. In 1995, Ekaterina Korenkova took in several still blind puppies. By feeding them from a nipple and being constantly nearby, she was able to raise a group of four-legged artists. But, according to her, it was not easy. even becoming their “mother”.
Considering the listed difficulties, it is more convenient and safer to train dogs that are already accustomed to obeying people. 
Why is the wolf called the forest orderly?
Nothing in nature happens just like that. A dog benefits humans, and the forest robber is an important part of the forest ecosystem. It destroys weak and sick individuals and regulates the size of the herd. If there are no wolves, elk, for example, will begin to reproduce uncontrollably. Since others natural enemies such a large and strong animal does not.
Artiodactyls will begin to eat the grass in large quantities, depriving the rest of the inhabitants of home and food. On the bare ground, many bacteria accumulate from the decomposing bodies of dead animals. Diseases will begin to spread throughout the area.
In addition, famine and pestilence will begin in countless herds due to overpopulation. Elks will die from infections and lack of food.
Today, the number of wolves has declined greatly, and environmentalists are sounding the alarm. Measures are being introduced to preserve them. If previously hunting for them was always allowed, now it is only during a certain period, from October to February.
We have talked in such detail about the life of a forest animal so that you can better understand how a wolf differs from a dog. It turned out that these are representatives of the same species, which are relatives. But the domestication of some individuals back in ancient times led to the fact that they now cannot live without humans, while others remained faithful wild image existence.
Video about the characteristics of canid species
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To the question Why don't wolves perform in the circus? given by the author Flush the best answer is Good afternoon! This is not entirely true. An example of this is Ekaterina Korenkova from the Perm State Circus. In 1995, when she was only 18 years old, she began working independently with the number “training wolves”. It was a bold circus experiment, because until recently it was believed that wolves could not be trained. But Ekaterina Korenkova rejected this statement; she believes that wolves can be surprisingly loyal and affectionate if they come to a person as puppies, and in terms of intelligence they are neither slightly nor lower than dogs. According to Catherine, training wolves is a lot of work. And not every trainer manages to achieve brilliant results in this matter. Wolves are cowards by nature, brave only in a pack. This is why in most cases in the arena they have their tails between their legs. She does everything so that the wolf behaves fearlessly while performing tricks. Wolves are still blind from birth and are fed from a nipple. Then they try to find the right approach to the animal, because each has its own character. Breed also matters. They worked with prairie, Canadian and European wolves. When training wolves, you should not hit them, as they are vindictive and touchy. Animals enter the arena only when they are ready for it: wolves should not be afraid of noise, flashes of light, loud applause and, of course, perform tricks. But in every city where they perform, they again have to get used to the smells, the light, the arena.
Answer from Simpleton[expert]
In the United States alone, according to various estimates, from 80,000 to 2 million wolves live in homes. Wolves can be less predictable and controllable than dogs (that's why they are not in circuses). Wolf cubs under the age of one year are, as a rule, not aggressive towards strangers, although their aggression increases with age, especially during the mating season. Males can be more aggressive and more difficult to control than females. Wolves are difficult to keep in standard kennels, as they can quickly learn how to open valves simply by watching people do it.
Answer from Peter Vasiliev[guru]
intractable
Answer from Stinky[guru]
I can guess, although I don’t know the answer for sure. In circuses, animals are trained through brute force, beatings and suppression, which is called carrots and sticks. At the same time, lions, tigers and other cats perform without muzzles or leashes. And bears are always muzzled. The fact is that the most unpredictable of wild animals is the bear. And the bear is a very smart, well-trained animal, and at the right moment it can respond to its tormentor with the same brute force. And wolves are most likely dangerous and unpredictable just like bears, but at the same time they are also difficult to train. There is no point in keeping them in the circus. * The bear is not predictable precisely for those tormentors, and not by its nature in general. Can hold a grudge. But apparently you can’t bend the wolf.
Answer from Sandals[guru]
and so we live among wolves
Answer from Mongolokatsapugrofinn[guru]
i.e. how come they don’t speak out? a dog, this is a wolf (genus Canis lupus), this is one species, they differ only morphologically, and if they don’t tell you that this is a wolf, then it is not possible to distinguish a dog from a wolf (I’m not talking about lop-eared freaks).
"Hurry! Hurry! Buy tickets to our circus ***! After all, today is the first time a wolf is in the arena! Hurry up to buy tickets!"
A man in a gold suit stood on the street handing out leaflets. After work everyone gathered at the circus. People wanted to look at rare beast. Everyone was interested and that’s why all the tickets were sold. Many people gathered in the hall. Everyone was eagerly waiting for the beast to be brought into the arena. Lions, tigers, elephants performed, seals and other animals. Everyone laughed and was amazed at the skill of the animals. Soon, they brought her out... A she-wolf with dark fur, an evil look and sharp fangs. All this fascinates the audience and they become silent. The trainer hits the floor with his whip and the she-wolf begins to growl. The trainer hits again, in the hope that the animal will obey, but the she-wolf growled even stronger. The man could not stand the disobedience and hit the animal on the back, causing it to whine and attack its offender. Alu (that was the name of the she-wolf) bit his hand and ran to the exit. All spectators began to panic and run to the exit. Alya didn't care much. She jumped into the glass door, breaking it, and ran out of the building. The she-wolf, wounded by shrapnel, ran from all... paws? She didn't run for long. The wounds were bleeding heavily and Alu began to lose consciousness somewhere near the forest.
Alu's POV
What happened? My whole body hurts... Lord... I feel so bad. Where am I anyway?
End of Alu's POV
The she-wolf opened her eyes and looked around. She was in some kind of pen.
She stood up and wanted to figure everything out. Alu realized that she was on a farm. It was necessary to escape from here.
- Look who woke up! Well? Do you want to eat? - unknown man walked up to the pen and threw a piece of meat into Al's mouth.
Alu began to greedily eat this unfortunate piece of meat. She walked up to the man and looked at him with sad and distrustful eyes. He just grinned and said:
- What? Not full? And that's all! Wait for lunch! In the meantime, we will train you. Remember, my name is Olrian. I am Olrian! Your master! You must listen to me. Is it clear?,” it is clear that Olrian does not intend to joke, Alu began to obey.
Every single day, Olrian beat her with a whip, doused her with hot water, and did not feed her for weeks. In general, I did whatever I wanted with the she-wolf. But Alu endured it. She was waiting for the right moment to escape from this place to her pack. At night, Alu howled at the moon. She missed her family. People have deprived her of everything. She decided to take revenge. It's been half a year since she got here. Olrian completely trusted her and loved the she-wolf. Alu remembered everything. Everything he did to her. When Olrian came to feed her, she came up to him and began to lick his hand. The man fell for this stupid trap and began stroking it. He entered the pen without closing the gate. Olrian began to caress her and play with her. Alu bit him on the leg so that he fell and doubled over in pain. Alu ran into the forest. She ran as fast as she could. She was happy that finally the torment and hellish pain had passed. The mountain behind which lives a flock of Alu is already visible.
Alu wanted to quickly return to the pack and live like a real wolf....
Shot.
The birds are singing. Grasshoppers sit in the grass and “chat” about their own things. The stream is babbling. The sun is shining brightly... On the green-scarlet grass lies a wolf with a bullet in his chest.
Breathe heavily. Everything is blurry. The pain returns. She leaves this world. A world of pain and injustice. She began to cry. She felt very bad. Alu wanted to meet her mom and dad. She loved them so much... Butterflies and dragonflies flew around the still warm body of the she-wolf. They took her soul to another world.
Five years have passed since Alu was taken away by heaven, and her parents are still waiting for her return...
26.10.2015
Being formidable predators, wolves have a bad reputation. Having learned a little more about these animals, you become imbued with respect for them. The life of a pack is subject to certain laws, which allows smart and strong predators to coexist peacefully and obey the will of a wise leader. What is the secret of wolf strength and invulnerability? The 10 most important ones will help you figure this out. interesting facts about them.
10. Who is the boss in the pack?
Relations in a wolf pack are subject to a strict hierarchy. At the head of the pack is the so-called alpha pair. Where the male is the leader who makes the most important decisions and is responsible for each relative. He does not fight for his dominance by force; there are also more powerful and hardy males in the flock. The main advantages of a leader are a sharp mind and a stable psyche. The leader's companion also enjoys considerable authority, but her care is mainly given to the females of the pack and puppies. The leader has an unspoken deputy who will replace the leader in the event of his death. This beta male is located slightly lower on the hierarchical ladder, and is completely subordinate to the will of the leader. It happens that the female can take on the role of leader in certain critical situations. There are also individuals in the flock who bear the rank of warriors. These can be not only males, but also females who are not burdened with motherhood. It is they who bear the responsibility for obtaining food and protecting the weak and young. At the bottom of the hierarchy are old and sick animals. Puppies are outside the hierarchy; all members of the pack, without exception, pay maximum attention to them. This one is complicated social group unquestioningly listens to the instructions of the leader, and gets along well with each other. Even looking from the outside, you can determine the place of each animal in the pack. The leader holds his tail high, the rest of the wolves have their tails down, and the weakest individuals have their tails tucked under their bodies.
9. Wolf tenderness
Newlyweds are often wished swan fidelity, and never wolf fidelity. But in vain. These animals can serve as an example of amazing relationships. Having met once, they never part until their death. In the spring, during the rutting season, the wolf and she-wolf separate from the pack in order to fully devote themselves to each other. With other members of the pack, the she-wolf, from this time until the appearance of the cubs, behaves unfriendly and sometimes aggressively. But let's return to the lovers. When courting, animals show their emotions not only through facial expressions. They rub their muzzles against each other, lick their partner and bite gently. All this time the couple does not part, and with the appearance of the wolf cubs, the male shows himself as a very caring father.
8. Wolf Kindergarten
The she-wolf bears her offspring for 2 months. During this time, she must select and prepare several lairs - places where she could stay with the kids. Most often these are caves, badger holes or depressions near the rhizomes of old trees. At one time, the female is able to reproduce from 3 to 5 puppies. The young are born absolutely helpless and feed exclusively on mother's milk. Blind and deaf wolf cubs weigh only 300 grams. But after 3 weeks their eyes open, which are piercing in all wolf cubs. blue color. And only by 8 months the eyes of wolf cubs acquire a golden hue. By one and a half months, babies are already turning into meat eaters. All members of the pack strive to feed the babies, regardless of the degree of relationship; it is they who deliver food to the she-wolf and her offspring. And in the first 4 months of life, the weight of puppies increases 30 times. However, not by bread alone. The flock has professional nannies who, regardless of gender, get along well with the kids and play with them. The leader himself pays a lot of attention to the young animals.
7. Best qualities
Wolves, like well-trained special forces fighters, have the most important qualities for survival. So, they swim perfectly, for this nature has provided small membranes between the fingers. Thanks to this feature, an adult wolf can swim more than 10 km. Also in minutes greatest danger wolves can accelerate up to 56 km/h. And this can be explained by regular training, because throughout the day they move at a speed of about 8 km/h. In addition, the wolf has an extraordinary sense of smell. He is able to distinguish up to 200 million odors, which is 40 times more than a person. And the predator can easily smell prey at a distance of up to 1.5 km. And if the prey comes into view, Wolf Pack he won’t miss his. It’s not for nothing that the wolf’s grip has become a household word. After all, a pressure of 300 kg/cm² is created in the cleft palate. By comparison, dog fangs close with half the force.
6. Even a wolf howls
To communicate, adult wolves most often use howling, which allows them to gather all members of the pack together or scare away the enemy. Howl is perfect for communication; with its help, wolves are able to convey various information and even emotions. Contrary to popular belief, wolf howl lasts no more than 5 seconds, and already the echo carries the sound, making it drawn out. It is extremely rare for wolves to bark, snort and whine. In moments of extreme danger, animals can growl and clang their teeth. But these smart animals communicate not only through sounds. They are one of the few capable of conveying their emotions with the help of facial expressions, and wolves also know how to demonstrate their attitude towards another animal. By licking each other and lightly biting their faces, they show tender feelings. A wolf crawling towards the leader demonstrates its respect and submission to him. Lying on his back and exposing his unprotected belly, the wolf expresses complete trust.
5. Happy hunting!
Animals as brave as wolves are difficult to scare with anything, unless they are flags. Knowing about this weakness of predators, hunters use flags to drive the animal. And the wolf rushing at top speed stops in front of the scraps of fabric fluttering in the wind. He rushes along the rope on which the flags are hung, but for some reason he does not dare to jump over. What's the matter? There is an opinion that animals have a similar reaction exclusively to red fabric, which they mistake for flashes of fire. In fact, the color does not matter, since wolves do not distinguish between them. However, they are very good at smelling. And flags, having been in the hands of a hunter, smell like a person. For most wolves, this smell is unfamiliar, and therefore potentially dangerous. And the fabric flutters in the wind, scaring away the inexperienced beast. It is curious that flags are not an insurmountable obstacle for all wolves. Those animals that live far from humans and feed exclusively on game, without attacking livestock, do not experience any emotions at the sight of flags.
3. Does the wolf perform in the circus?
Wolves are practically impossible to train. They are easy to train, and when in an enclosure, they can accurately carry out even complex commands. However, their submission is completely deceptive, and at the first opportunity the wolf will try to break free. In this case, the animal can behave very aggressively, posing a threat to the life and health of others. Perhaps, thanks to this fact, the idea took root in the minds of ordinary people that wolves never perform in the circus. Like, the whole secret is in their love of freedom. This idea is only partly true. So, in 1965, Perm circus artist Ekaterina Korenkova entered the arena with wolves. Her performances were a huge success, but only Catherine herself knew how much work it cost her. The fact is that wolves are cowardly by nature. Finding itself in an unusual environment (unfamiliar arena, many people, bright light, sharp sounds), the wolf tucks its tail and flees. But once a wolf finds himself in a pack, he becomes noticeably bolder and, in response to stress, can become aggressive. In addition, wolves are too touchy and vindictive. And as soon as the trainer relaxes a little, the predator immediately decides to take revenge, remembering old grievances. All this makes the performance of wolves in the circus unreasonably dangerous and unpredictable.
2. Smarter than dogs
Austrian scientists from Messerli University conducted an experiment that clearly demonstrates the intellectual superiority of wolves over dogs. 14 six-month-old wolves and 15 mongrel dogs of the same age were recruited to participate in the study. Each tailed participant in the experiment was shown a video in which a trained dog, using its paws and its own teeth, opened a box with a treat hidden inside. After viewing, each puppy ended up at this very box, which he had to open. Surprisingly, all the cubs, remembering the video hint, completed the task. But out of the group of dogs, only 4 puppies turned out to be resourceful. In a more in-depth study, when the wolves were asked to open the box on their own, only a few of them completed the task. This fact proves that wolves are more attentive and capable of learning than dogs. From a purely physiological point of view, this is explained by the fact that a wolf's brain is 30% larger than a dog's. Their memory is more developed, which allows predators to successfully track prey along long-familiar routes.
1. To help environmentalists
IN national park Yellowstone (USA) There were no wolves for 70 years. During this time the deer population increased to huge size. While getting food for themselves, herbivores destroyed young trees, thereby dealing a serious blow to the entire ecosystem of the park. Scientists sounded the alarm, but after making a lot of efforts, they were unable to seriously change the situation. It is unknown what further deer expansion would have led to, but in 1995, 14 wolves were released into the park. They slightly reduced the number of deer, and forced the remaining ones to choose places for grazing more carefully. As a result, in just 6 years the number of trees in the national park increased fivefold. And this contributed to an increase in the population of beavers, which now had the opportunity to build dams. Ducks and muskrats settled in the creeks. Wolves also reduced the number of jackals, which allowed hares and mice to breed. The latter attracted hawks to the park. But the most amazing thing is that thanks to wolves, the river beds have changed. Now trees and grasses began to grow along the banks, which strengthened them with their roots. coastal zone. So many positive changes in the park happened thanks to the appearance of a pack of wolves. Thus, the natural balance was restored in nature.
It is stupid to accuse wolves of bloodthirstiness. After all, no one would think of blaming a fish for living in water. So the wolf does not want harm to anyone, he is just born a predator.
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