Why fear the wolf?

It was January 12, 1765. Seven children, five boys and two girls, tended their herds near a village in France. These young people were not together for business but for protection. It has been reported that nearly a dozen children have been killed by a wolf in the past six months. Others bit their head and face but managed to escape.

The children were looking at their allegations when suddenly a wolf appeared. The three oldest children, all twelve years old, bravely confronted the animal with the pike. But the wolf broke his guard and grabbed the younger one by the cheek. Although the three older children forced the wolf to be released immediately, the animal again attacked and killed the other child. The children chased the animal again. But their fight is not over yet. The little boy's shot has become the target of the wolf. The animal came back and grabbed his arm. The other children ran to the rescue. But the wolf didn't let go until he was thrown into a mud hole and subjected to a series of blows to the head. Then the wolf flew never to return.

According to authentic data, this wolf and another attacked more than a hundred people, most of them young, in central France between 1764 and 1767. Many children died terribly. After these two wolves were put down, the gruesome murders ended.

Reports of human deaths in wolf jaws are not uncommon in other parts of Europe and Central Asia, especially Russia. The estimated death rate attributed to wolves in Russia only in 1875 was 161 people. As a result, thousands of people may have been attacked by wolves over the centuries.

That this is the case may seem very strange, given a completely different context than wolves in other parts of the world. Das Tierreich (1954, Vol. I, p. 431) explains: “The gray or timber wolf has an impressive reputation: the whole of human history is full of stories of their ordeals. However, there are no confirmed reports that a wolf carried out an unprovoked attack on humans anywhere in North America. ""

How do you explain this difference? Are wolves much more dangerous in parts of Europe and Asia than in North America?

There is no evidence that wolves in one part of the country are worse than those living in another part of the country. The available evidence suggests only one conclusion: wolves that attack humans tend to be angry. That this was the case at a time when large numbers of wolves roamed the forests of Europe shows how humans generally react to these creatures. Even children, in general, were not very afraid of them. Typically, young people of all ages and sizes are provided with rods, sheep, goats, or cattle in wolf-infested areas. It is only when there are clear signs of danger that children can mobilize to protect themselves.

But what about the two non-refundable wolves who killed scores of children in France over a three-year period? According to reports, these were no ordinary wolves. Both had unusual properties, suggesting that they could be hybrids. Both were larger than the normal variety and had an abnormal color. One had a white neck and the other animal's fur was reddish. As these wolves were of abnormal size and color, when they attacked humans, they were abnormal.

Although the fame of the American wolf was not an ogre, that creature was the subject of intense hatred. Over the years, farmers and ranchers have waged a relentless war against him that has almost driven him to extinction.

At the same time, the red wolf has been found throughout the southeastern United States, from Florida to Texas. Poisoned and captured by thousands, red wolves were eliminated from most of their former habitat in 1970. Subsequently, a federal program to control predators between 1975 and 1984 led to the killing of another 27,646 red wolves. Science News of February 17, 1973. Wolves live mainly on the land of breeders who consider them a danger to their pets.

Even the largest gray or timber wolf did not understand. At some point, this mammal settled in the United States. But now it is most limited to parts of Michigan and Minnesota.

Why do sheep and cattle owners continue to fight the wolf? The main issue was the loss of livestock. For example, from the 18th century, Putnam Israel lost almost seventy of its animals to a female forest wolf in one night. No wonder he hates wolves. During the 19th century, when flocks of buffalo, antelope and deer disappeared from the great plains, wolves had to search for other prey. Then they started taking their share of domestic sheep and cattle. The forest yards killed more pets than they could eat and bankrupted some shepherds. As the herd increased, so did the wolves. After all, $ 1 million is paid in wolf bonds each year in the United States. Finally, in the 20th century, hunters began to destroy wolf cubs in their holes. Because of this, Timber Wolf is now less than 1% of the area he has traveled.

But is the wolf so bad that it justifies extinction? No, we will say a lot. "Wolves," they point out, "are not just extremely interesting and intelligent animals. They are essential for maintaining the delicate balance of nature. Ultimately, it is not the wolf, but man, who is primarily responsible for maintaining that balance and depriving so many creatures their usual food.

Yes, like other wild animals, the wolf prefers to avoid humans, but it can attack if they are sick, provoked, injured, cornered or suddenly surprised. Therefore, what the Bible says about man's relationship to animals is justified.

So if they do not become too involved in their way of life, humans have no reason to be too afraid of the wolf.