LIVE from the Camino Wolf On Francés Today

[RJE]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

 

[kptorrahk]

I walked the Camino a few weeks ago and a French lady also talked about encountering a wolf in the forests between Portomarin and Palas de Rei before sunrise.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Oh. My. Goodness ! That would be an absolute dream come true for me. It's extremely seldom that I feel envious of anybody but right now believe me I am !

 

[henrythedog]

You have been extraordinarily lucky. Great pictures.

 

[K_Lynn]

WOW! Glad you had the opportunity to see this beautiful creature and everyone walked away safely!

 

[Bog526]

Beautiful yes however still a wild animal that can tear you open. Unusual that the wolf can that close.
Please don’t feed them, they will keep coming back with more. And if they keep coming back they will be killed because of the dangers to humans and children. My friend fed a wolf by hand and the last moment the wolf took the food and part of his hand. Please observe from a distance. Take care

 

[davejsy]

At least two of these photos are also in a FB post by someone called Ken, but maybe you are the same person @RJE or shared photos.

A healthy wild wolf would never get that close to people, they would be long gone before you'd ever even known they were there. It's a young wolf so maybe something untoward has happened to the parents who it would rely on for food. As @Bog526 says best to admire from a distance and certainly not feed it as a wolf that becomes accustomed to humans will either end up in the zoo or disappear by some other means.

 

[Amigos caminando]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

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Wow wow wow

 

[Mick0]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

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Nice!

 

[fallow]

I missed my turn off to Hontanas last July, too busy watching a Wolff loping down the road ahead of me!

 

[Makuluman]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

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Wow..... and a great close-up!

 

[mr potatohead]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

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That looks exactly like our old (now deceased) German shepherd/Alsatian.

 

[Bradypus]

A very short video of the wolf in an article on a local news website.

VÍDEO | Un lobo planta cara a varios peregrinos en el Camino de Santiago

Los avistamientos de lobos o perros salvajes en la comarca cada vez son más frecuentes. El último de ellos se produjo este miércoles, cuando uno de estos

www.elbierzodigital.com

 

[Blister Bill]

So you're not meant to dance with them then ?

 

[3ball]

At least two of these photos are also in a FB post by someone called Ken, but maybe you are the same person @RJE or shared photos.

A healthy wild wolf would never get that close to people, they would be long gone before you'd ever even known they were there. ...

I live among wolves on the edge of the BWCAW in Minnesota. Ely MN has the International Wolf Center and the Voyaguers Wolf Project (see Facebook for amazing information from them) does their year round studies nearby.
I have very frequent interactions with wolves. I enjoy their howling almost everynight when I go to bed.

In fact, they are very frequently quite close to humans though we do not see them. I have two trail cameras within 20 yards of my home and on average get 5 photos per day of wolves on my driveway or in the area where I access the lake. Sometimes I even notice them watching me and my dogs through my patio door. I also notice them when out and about camping or hunting in the area.

They are essentially no danger to humans in any way. I would not feed them, nor surprise them (which would be very difficult to do).

I would, though, be concerned about pets that might be with humans. That is unfortunately a different story.

 

[Corned Beef]

There is an recent article about wolves in India and this is the stand out comment about killing children and others. Makes you think twice about being near one.

Such attacks on humans are extremely rare and most involve wolves infected with rabies, a viral disease that affects the central nervous system. A rabid wolf will typically make multiple assaults without consuming the victims.

Uttar Pradesh: The child-killing wolves sparking panic in India

Since April, wolf attacks have terrorised villages near the Nepalese border, killing nine children.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[RJE]

At least two of these photos are also in a FB post by someone called Ken, but maybe you are the same person @RJE or shared photos.

A healthy wild wolf would never get that close to people, they would be long gone before you'd ever even known they were there. It's a young wolf so maybe something untoward has happened to the parents who it would rely on for food. As @Bog526 says best to admire from a distance and certainly not feed it as a wolf that becomes accustomed to humans will either end up in the zoo or disappear by some other means.

Yes, Ken’s wife shared with me. He took the pics from a distance. I was seated with this guy 3 feet from me. Frozen.

My sense was pilgrims had been feeding him since he didn’t fear humans and was nipping at backpacks.

 

[Pelegrin]

I am an old Spanish mountaineer and never saw one in the wild in my life.

 

[peregrina2000]

It even made the local news!

VÍDEO | Un lobo planta cara a varios peregrinos en el Camino de Santiago

Los avistamientos de lobos o perros salvajes en la comarca cada vez son más frecuentes. El último de ellos se produjo este miércoles, cuando uno de estos

www.elbierzodigital.com

 

[davejsy]

There is an recent article about wolves in India and this is the stand out comment about killing children and others. Makes you think twice about being near one.

Uttar Pradesh: The child-killing wolves sparking panic in India

Since April, wolf attacks have terrorised villages near the Nepalese border, killing nine children.

www.bbc.co.uk

A very isolated occurrence and certainly not something associated with wolves or canines in general. Currently, they think it is one individual wolf or wild dog that is responsible. We also have to remember before labeling a whole species as killers that humans are far more destructive and dangerous to each other than any wild animal

Where I go a lot to track wolves and bears near Riaño villagers villagers can spend their whole life there and never see a wolf despite being surrounded by them such is their generally elusive nature in Spain.

Unfortunately given the publicity I'd imagine this little wolf's days of freedom are now limited and that sadly is probably the best outcome before an accident happens which probably wouldn't even be the animal's fault.

The wolf in Spain as elsewhere is a divisive animal and any negative publicity is seized upon by those who are angry at it's current protected status in Spain after years of hunting it. I for one though feel the world is a better wilder place with them - even if you never see one.

 

[Pelegrin]

There was an article today in " La Voz de Galicia" about a real problem with wolves one km from O Pino ( Camino Frances). Wolves are killing a lot of cattle there.

 

[KariannNor]

I wish this thread could be cut now. So much wow-ing and "they kill"-ing. Please leave these creatures alone. It is NOT a good thing that you see them! Go to one of your heartbreaking zoos you might have if you need to. Leave nature alone and stop blame it!

 

[davejsy]

There was an article today in " La Voz de Galicia" about a real problem with wolves one km from O Pino ( Camino Frances). Wolves are killing a lot of cattle there.

Articles in Spanish press are always sensationalised one way or another. It is true there are always conflicts, but unfortunately much of the time it is worth cattle left unguarded which is no longer compatible with returning wildlife - but the solution they always want is to kill the wolves as opposed to adapt in a better way. In Le Culebra where wolves clung on after been wiped out across the rest of Spain they have hardly any problems with wolves as the traditional way of tending to their animals never truly died out. Le Culebra has one of the highest densities of wolves in all of Western Europe.

There is a much bigger problem with domestic dogs, but of course this does not sell papers.

 

[Pelegrin]

Articles in Spanish press are always sensationalised one way or another. It is true there are always conflicts, but unfortunately much of the time it is worth cattle left unguarded which is no longer compatible with returning wildlife - but the solution they always want is to kill the wolves as opposed to adapt in a better way. In Le Culebra where wolves clung on after been wiped out across the rest of Spain they have hardly any problems with wolves as the traditional way of tending to their animals never truly died out. Le Culebra has one of the highest densities of wolves in all of Western Europe.

There is a much bigger problem with domestic dogs, but of course this does not sell papers.

I am in favour of wolves. Sometimes there are similar news in La Voz but I never mentioned one here. In this ocasion was becase it happened only one km from O Pino ( on the C.. Frances near Santiago) and this is a forum about the camino.

 

[davejsy]

I am in favour of wolves. Sometimes there are similar news in La Voz but I never mentioned one here. In this ocasion was becase it happened only one km from O Pino ( on the C.. Frances near Santiago) and this is a forum about the camino.

Apologies @Pelegrin my post was in no way aimed at you. These headlines are a regularity for anyone who reads Spanish news so it would make no difference if they are posted or not. I was just trying to add a bit of context for anyone who might think Spain is becoming overrun with man-eating wolves!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Well, if they did start snaking on Pilgrim’s it might lessen the hordes wanting to walk a little……

 

[JustOneGuy]

This made for an exciting morning for me and a few pilgrims in the hills just before El Acebo today.

A Spanish lady took charge and had us sit down…not sure that was the right course of action, but it calmed him down until he moved on.

Nature is beautiful, but be mindful you are in nature.

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one of my two or three favorite creatures.

If you are interested, I suggest you read Beyond Words by Carlos Safina. One of the chapters is dedicated to the wolf, an amazing creature.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I am an old Spanish mountaineer and never saw one in the wild in my life.

I have encountered wolves in Italy several times while walking in Abruzzo and Umbria, two central Italian regions. Usually they were walking alone.

They are not like the wolves of North America, but smaller. But once I witnessed from a distance the awakening of a pack of wolves at dawn in the Abruzzo Natural Park. When they awaken, they perform a "magical" ceremony in which the rankings of the group are re-established, with howls in unison that literally stunned me, and submissive movements of the lower-ranking wolves to the higher-ranking wolves (I do not call them "alpha-males" because I have read that there is some misunderstanding about this).

I was a little scared (pack of wolves are actually dangerous). I was alone and it was below zero, but I will never forget the modulated "singing" of so many wolves.

Again, read "Beyond Words" by Carlos Safina.

What an amazing creature is the wolf...

 

[RJM]

Doubtful that a wolf would try and take on a group of humans unless it was rabid. I personally would have been more inclined to want to scare the wolf away by yelling, banging together trekking poles, blowing on whistles etc so as to avoid any further contacts with people. For the wolf's sake.

 

[JustOneGuy]

Doubtful that a wolf would try and take on a group of humans unless it was rabid. I personally would have been more inclined to want to scare the wolf away by yelling, banging together trekking poles, blowing on whistles etc so as to avoid any further contacts with people. For the wolf's sake.

I am inclined to concur with you. Wolves are among the few apex species in the food hierarchy that can attack prey much larger than themselves, and have unprecedented physical endurance.

Alone they are quite guarded, but a pack of hungry wolves can pose a great danger to a passing human.

In any case, it is never a good idea to accustom a wild animal to feeding on offered food (although this is probably the way they were domesticated long ago).

 

[CWBuff]

There was an article today in " La Voz de Galicia" about a real problem with wolves one km from O Pino ( Camino Frances). Wolves are killing a lot of cattle there.

I wish this thread could be cut now. So much wow-ing and "they kill"-ing. Please leave these creatures alone. It is NOT a good thing that you see them! Go to one of your heartbreaking zoos you might have if you need to. Leave nature alone and stop blame it!

Well.... they DO have to eat!!!! And that is the way of the Nature. People are killing lots of cattle too, should we shoot them.... oh wait... we DO DO that, sometimes for no reason at all.

Animals were here long before we were so yes leave them alone!

BTW my wife took a look at the photo and said that it's a wolf-dog

 

[davejsy]

Alone they are quite guarded, but a pack of hungry wolves can pose a great danger to a passing human.

There is no evidence for this statement whatsoever and you're probably a million times more likely to get killed by a randy cow than devoured by a pack of wolves.

 

[JustOneGuy]

There is no evidence for this statement whatsoever and you're probably a million times more likely to get killed by a randy cow than devoured by a pack of wolves.

The real problem is: is it a good idea to encourage wolves to come closer to the trails and feed them? Or is it better to keep them away (without hurting them, of course)?