Wolves kill sheep in the middle of Zuidemom, circle walkers wolves near Ueckermünde, eat calves in crack: animals and people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are currently having problems with wolves almost every day. Canadian wolf researcher Valerius Gist is not surprised.

If people do not fight back, the wolves will win. Now the 83-year-old biologist had assumed all his professional life that wolves could not be dangerous to humans. When he moved to his retirement home on Vancouver Island, however, he was otherwise taught by his own account. He saw wolves slaughtering dogs, chasing his neighbors, circling his wife and eventually even himself.

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According to the scientist, the fact that the wolves had so far seemed harmless is only due to the fact that they were practically deported from the early 20th century and the people of Canada have always been well armed. Hunters, forest workers, surveyors, prophets, trappers, truck drivers and other professional groups killed the wolves before they could cause harm. “Condolences to the wolf showing the wolf,” said Valerius Dist.

No blue attack

Scientists are convinced that if humans do not defend themselves, wolves will attack. Of course, wolf attacks on farm animals or even people are not out of the blue. Rather, such attacks occur before different stages of being used for humans, biologists point out. It describes a scale with seven clearly recognizable stages before attacking a wolf: “seven stages of habitation”, seven stages of habitation or seven stages of growth.

According to Canadian Russian roots, the first signs are roe deer, deer and other prey. If they are growing in villages or cities, they do so because they are fleeing wolves. Fearing wolves, the animals run from the forest towards the city. Quite a few wild boars currently live in Greifswald.

In the second stage, according to the theory of Valerius Geist, wolves mainly go near human habitat at night. This can be identified, among other things, by restless dogs or wolves of wolves. They look at people and quickly learn how far they can go. At the end of last year, Wolf Howell can be heard in Karwitz in the Mecklenburg Lake District.

According to Valerius Gist, stage three begins when wolves show themselves even during the day. Currently in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, this happens almost every day. They see people doing their daily chores and simply they learn, for example, even how to open garden gates.

In level four, they attack the area around the houses

In phase four, according to Valerius Gist, wolves can no longer be ignored. They attack dogs and farm animals during the day, even if they are in the vicinity of homes. They come in courtyards and gardens. Last year, a family filmed a wolf in their garden in Vogelsang-Warsin in Voropsheimer-Greifswald. Humans are not yet the target of attacks at this stage, but they are threatened with growing or stopping their teeth.

Level five is even more blurred. In this phase, for example, riders are circled and reared or large farms such as cattle are injured. They are found to be torn from the ears, severed in half or severed from the genitals. According to Valerius Gist, it may also be that a wolf looks through the living room window.

Stage six is ​​reached when wolves appear in the immediate vicinity of humans. They prod the walkers with their noses, towing their clothes or occasionally pinching them on their arms. They can be chased by shouting and waving, but they do not run far. Everything seems fickle. In fact, they are beginning to find humans as prey and test how they react to attacks.

At level seven, according to Valerius Geist, the climax of growth is reached. Now wolves have finally lost their fear of humans. Although they are still a bit clumsy, a person may still be able to defend themselves against a single wolf, but an armed person should not be given a chance against an entire pack.

Underestimated for centuries

Valerius Geist is convinced that scientists and politicians have played down wolves over the last 100 years. Wolves kill people, but such incidents have not been communicated. For example, 24-year-old wildlife biologist Trisha Wiman was killed on April 18, 1996 in Ontario by a captive wolf pack. She was dreamed of caring for wolves and researching their behavior. “She survived three days. You and the people around you have been completely influenced by the harmless wolf myth, ”writes Valerius Gist.

In July 2002, Scott Lavigne was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. The paddlers camped in the Canadian province of British Columbia and did not take wolf exploration tours seriously. He is attacked by an old, emaciated she-wolf with broken teeth. He stabbed him nine times with a four-inch knife. It did not kill them, but drove them away. The 31-year-old had refused to be interviewed as he feared the wolves might fall into controversy.

Valerius Geist was born in 1938. He is a biologist and professor of environmental science at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.