About 8 years ago the wife and I traveled Alaska and we visited Steve and his sanctuary. A very interesting man. If you ever get to Alaska his sanctuary is worth the visit. The man is funny and very entertaining.
The one thing Daniella didn't mention about Nishka being imprinted on humans: She can never be released back into the wild. The problem is you don't want wild animals (like bears and wolves) to view humans as sources of food. It leads to all sorts of problems from the animals ceasing to look for food in the wild to adverse encounters with humans.
They already view humans as food sources, especially in cities close to wildlife. It's being taught down by their parents and the side effect is that they lose the natural "fear" of humans which is the real big problem. It's an issue that is going to get worse and worse and we can't really do anything about it except dealing with our garbage in a better way which is something I don't see happening anytime soon. If anything it's a problem that will get worse. What really concerns me is when you have cities that are close to polar bears, that's terrifying as they already see us humans as prey. In Indonesia they've already shown that you can help primates and release them back into the wild but of course it's different as they see us as apes so that makes perfect sense. Not sure how you would deal with pack animals, bears and larger predators in a safe way without imprinting us onto them and release them back into the wild. I truly believe it's a problem that will only get worse over time as we spread out even more.
He mentioned the Wolfs parents were orphans so I assume that meant they were rescued ? Also at this point with humans destroying habitats they become forced to approach human civilization. But I agree they need to fend for themselves.
You make an excellent point and one that I wish many more people kept in mind and communicators like Danielle talked about when featuring these individuals. Such wild animals who are acclimated to humans are fantastic teachers for us, but we must consistently remind ourselves of what you brought up.
Honestly I was very worried about Danielle, seemed like she struggled a bit to keep up. Side Note: Steve seems off kilter but then again, I guess you have to be a little crazy to keep a grey wolf as a pet. 😂
This was definitely NOT a walk with a wolf. It was a RUN with a wolf! I could barely keep up watching it, you must have been puffed! What fun, I love Steve, such a great naturalist, his enthusiasm and respect for nature perfectly matches Danielle's, what a wholesome pair! Glad he recognised a fellow kind hearted-human in her - as did all the animals! Appreciate you let your social inhibitions go free to be accommodating to his and the animals needs (wolf HOOWWLLL!)- many people stay uptight and can't just let go to have some fun!
Live in BC. Wolves are the major predator I worry least about when hiking and camping in woods alone. I have been passed by by packs of wolves before, one wolf shows them selfs as I guess as a scout and I could hear multiple wolves moving past in the bushes beside the trail, it was remarkable.
As a wolf howler you unconvincing to my sleeping shepard BUT on little howl from from that wolf had her up and looking for the source of that howl !!!!!
Alaskan wolves adaptability and resilience in the harsh Alaskan environment is truly incredible and inspiring 😮 The way they navigate the rugged terrain, withstand extreme temperatures, and hunt in the unforgiving wilderness is a testament to their remarkable survival skills and strength. Also their ability to thrive in this environment is a reminder of the importance of preserving and respecting their natural habitat, ensuring the long term survival of these majestic creatures.
This video's title is mistaken. It should be "Alaskan Wolf takes Daniel for a walk." Look at how Mishka grabs the leash to pull Daniel along as if saying "let's go friend! Faster!"
I love Steve! I have seen him before and the relationship he has with animals is almost eerie. They are on the same wavelength. He is a kind person and I love animals as much as he does.
Loved the video…reminded me of my interaction with a wolf. Many decades ago, my sister rescued a mostly wolf, very little dog mix, whom she rescued as a puppy from a man who beat him. If Taker liked you, he stole an item from you, hence his name. The first day we met, he stole one of my gloves and added it to his little treasure trove. My sister was amazed when he started following me around her place and always joined me when I napped. I tried to persuade her to let him come home with me, but failed, sadly. They were very bonded. I left him the glove. I’ve never become, for lack of a better word, one, with any being so quickly and closely…it was immediate. I feel honored to have had that experience. I’ve been watching videos about Steve for a long time…he restores some of my lost faith in humanity.
This reminds me. My ex-wife was 120lbs. We adopted 120lb and 60lb Rottweiler mixes. I'm a big guy so I'd take them for walks. If they got out of hand, they weren't going anywhere on the leash. Then she liked to go for walks with them. I'd use training leashes and wrap the leash around my wrists to give them more or less leash depending where we were on the walk. She started doing that too. One day, she was alone with them and walking them next to a wash and there was a cat hiding under some debris near the wash. The cat darted and the dogs' prey instinct took over. They dragged her for quite a distance and I ended up having to treat all of cuts and scratches. That was the last time I let her walk those two or the big guy again.
I keep thinking about whatever first humans began interacting with wolves. The wolves probably stole some of the human's kills, then some wolves were tossed meat to keep them from stealing the main kill. The wolves started seeing the humans as a source of easy food, and the humans thought is was better to feed the wolves than fight them. Occasionally the wolves still attacked & ate a human, and occasionally a human killed & ate wolf, but they ultimately became more synergistic.
Video idea! I'd love to see more content featuring rescued animals like Nishka/ Mishka (sorry that I couldn't ever tell the correct spelling) and more emphasis on what lessons we can learn from and/ or about acclimated wild animals while also keeping all human and wild animals safe from each other.
I've encountered a wild wolf pack twice in the forest and Bears with cubs a few times and never registered any aggression from any of them. If you dont show any fear and aggression towards them they usually either leave you alone or are just curious a bit and just want to know who/what is there. We often tend to forget that a Human is a very capable foe for most animals when that human is healthy and willing to pick a fight but these wild animals know this and from there attacks happen because they can misinterpret our reactions for aggressions. Animals respect above all POWER. Watching the video one thing you notice is Michka keeps her tail quite high... She doesnt have normal wild pack interactions, otherwise she would keep her tail almost against her belly. She needs discipline from a pack leader.
Yes they do BUT. Us humans are always screwing up the natural world OR he gave this little orphan a fighting chance he did not have due to his parents being killed. Probably our fault anyway. So this wolf is living his best life with hos pack of steve. I would much rather spend my time taking care of wolves rather than actually seeing the big picture!
I feel like this is really not a great way to keep a wild animal, even if it was a rescue. Pent up in a tiny cage. Then walked like a dog on a lead; chewing at the lead is a sign of frustration/stress in dogs. And then put into a bit larger of an enclosure. Is a pretty sad life. This wolf will be pretty dangerous when it's fully grown and thinks that it's okay to playfully bite and jump on a human. I feel like the snow and wilderness makes this seem better than what it actually is. If this wolf was living the same way in some other, warmer, us state; people would not be so okay with this wild animal living this lifestyle.
