Shaun Ellis, Accepted Among Wolves
Some people think that Shaun Ellis’ head is not working properly. Others think he’s an eccentric and that his purpose is simply to attract attention. There are also those who admire him and think that his life is inspiring and poetic, a true exaltation of this instinctive friendship which must exist between the human being and his environment.
Shaun Ellis rose to world fame after National Geographic magazine made a documentary about his life among wolves. As far as we know, he is the only adult human being who voluntarily went to live with them until he became a member of their community. In fact, the wolves mistook him for the alpha male of the pack.
Many scientists, especially biologists, have seriously questioned Shaun Ellis’ experience. This being because the goal of approaching wolves is not considered to be research work. He just loves these animals and wanted to enter their world to get to know them better.
There are cases of children who have been raised with wolves or other species, cases of children who have been abandoned and then accepted into a herd. These examples are always surprising and it is fascinating to see how the human being has been able to be accepted and become “one of them”.
But when we think of adult humans, the only name that comes to mind so far is Shaun Ellis. How could a grown man get into a wolf pack?
Love for wolves
Shaun Ellis was born in England in 1964. From an early age he was attracted to wolves. He began to study the subject on his own and the more he learned, the more curious he became. The first time he saw a wolf was behind bars in a zoo. He said it was love at first sight.
Ellis moved on with his life, always keeping his interest in the subject. He became a soldier in the British special forces. Meanwhile, whenever he could, he would go to the woods at night to shoot wolf videos. Just looking at them gave him great satisfaction.
Shaun Ellis married and had five children, but he devoted more time to wolves than to his own family. At first his wife didn’t see this hobby as a problem, but over time she got tired of it. She ended up abandoning Ellis and left with her children, leaving Shaun alone.
Shaun Ellis’ revealing journey
Shaun Ellis started volunteering at captive wolf centers, but it wasn’t enough for him, he couldn’t satisfy his need to approach them. So he thought that the best way to get to know these animals better was to approach them in their natural environment. It was then that he decided to go to Nez Perce Park, in Idaho, in the United States.
There he lived with local Indians and learned what they knew about wolves. He also began to gradually approach these animals. He wanted to be accepted as one of them, but it was not easy, the task took 8 months. One day the wolves bit him on the knee, knew him it was a welcome gesture and felt really excited.
Against all odds, Shaun Ellis started living with wolves and they ended up accepting him. He ate the same raw meat as they did; sometimes they would urinate on it before it tasted it. There was no lack of misunderstandings and it brought him its share of hits and bites. According to him, he learned the language of howling. This coexistence lasted 18 months.
The comeback and a new chapter
Shaun Ellis struggled to return to the human world. Seven months passed before he felt comfortable around people of his kind again. He later published a book on the language of wolves and then traveled to Combe Martin Park in Devon, England, where, unexpectedly, he encountered three orphan wolves he adopted as a mother .
How do you raise three Cubs? Shaun Ellis put into practice everything he had learned in his coexistence with wolves, he did not want to domesticate them, but to teach them how to thrive in their wild environment.
He devoted a year and a half to caring for the Cubs. He taught them to howl and fed them by feeding them with his own mouth. He later taught them to hunt as he had learned. He also taught them discipline and hierarchy.
This small community turned him into an alpha male. When he thought the Cubs were ready, Ellis let them go to find theirs. Although he got away from his friends, he never lost sight of them. National Geographic magazine found out about her story and made a documentary about her.
Several biologists around the world have expressed their discomfort with Shaun Ellis’ techniques. When they saw the documentary about his life, they called him “sensationalist”.
Regardless, there is no doubt that he is a controversial figure and that more than one of them got their hands on their heads when they found out about his story. But what no one can deny is the enormous effort this man has made to empathize with the animals he admires the most.
Our thoughts The love that unites an animal and its master is indescribable and unconditional. Do you know why it can be so strong to love an animal?
