Man spends almost $23,000 on realistic costume to fulfill his dream of becoming a wolf

An unnamed man spent almost $23,000 on a wolf costume to fulfill his dream of becoming the carnivorous animal.

The man reportedly contacted Zeppet, a Japanese special modeling company, to create an ultra-realistic wolf suit, spending 3 million yen (approximately $22,700) to be transformed into the gray-furred canine.

“Because of my love for animals since childhood and some realistic animal suits appearing on TV, I dreamed of ‘being one someday,’” the man told Zeppet.

To read more on this story, click here: Man spends almost $23,000 on realistic costume to fulfill his dream of becoming a wolf

FOLLOW US!

Japanese Town Deploys Growling "Monster Wolf" Robots to Scare Away Wild Bears

A town in northern Japan has recently been plagued by a plethora of wild bears, roaming around neighborhoods and petrifying residents. In an attempt to prevent attacks, the town of Takikawa has now installed terrifying robotic wolves to howl at the bears and scare them off, Reuters reports.

The residents of Takikawa, located on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, have been increasingly concerned by the potential of bear attacks, as sightings in the country hit a five-year high, according to national broadcaster NHK. There have been dozens of reported attacks this year, two of them fatal, leading to an emergency government meeting last month to address the issue. 

To read more on this story, click here: Japanese Town Deploys Growling "Monster Wolf" Robots to Scare Away Wild Bears

FOLLOW US!

A Valentine Love Story: Romeo, The Wolf Who Flirted With Dogs (And Humans)

The story of Romeo, the wolf who flirted with dogs, is an exceptional story of a wild wolf befriending dogs in the Alaskan city of Juneau. Many citizens of Juneau went to see this spectacle for many years until Romeo was killed by sports hunters.

My wife, who did not exactly approve of this “miscegenation” because of the potential danger, was looking out the window one frosty morning and there was the wolf curled up out on the lake ice, waiting for Dakotah (our dog) to come out.

With that arms folded, slightly protective tone of voice any mother with a cute teenage daughter would use, she said, “There’s that Romeo wolf again.” The name caught on because it fit. He was not only doing this with our dog, he was also flirting with others. But he certainly had favorites, just as people do: dog friends, dog acquaintances, and dog Best friends for ever.

To read more on this story, click here: A Valentine Love Story: Romeo, The Wolf Who Flirted With Dogs (And Humans)

FOLLOW US!

Watch As Large 7-Foot Wolf Chases Dog: Owner Captures Terrifying Footage

The internet was riveted by a video of a wolf chasing a dog through the woods that was taken by the dog's owner. The footage was shot in northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

First, the dog is barking at something in the background. A huge wolf then leaps toward the dog who begins barking more frantically. The owner can be heard in the video shouting at the two.

The owner is a fishing guide at the place where the video was shot, and he said they are used to having black bears come around from time to time. This giant black wolf that turned up for several days was a surprise.

The man said he was inside with the lodge manager when they saw the wolf. He grabbed his camera while the manager grabbed a gun.

The wolf actually caught up with the dog and threw her in the air, and the lodge manager had to fire into the air to make it stop. The dog had some minor injuries but recovered. The wolf returned two more times that day looking for the dog. Some of the many viewers of the video estimated the wolf must have been about seven feet long.



FOLLOW US!

40 Dogs Killed by Wolves During Wisconsin Bear Hunt; Experts Puzzled

Wisconsin bear hunters achieved a typically high success rate during a monthlong season that concluded last week, but experts are still trying to determine why a record number of hunting dogs were killed in the process.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, at least 40 dogs were preyed upon by wolves during a hunt that allowed the use of dogs to pursue and tree black bears.

That’s nearly double the previous record of 23 hunting dog deaths, in a phenomenon that might be attributed to a growing wolf population in the Badger State.

“We don’t have much to go on except speculation,” said Dave MacFarland, carnivore specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources. “[But] everybody can agree that we hope we don’t see a repeat of what we saw this year.”

To read more on this story, click here: 40 Dogs Killed by Wolves During Wisconsin Bear Hunt; Experts Puzzled

FOLLOW US!

Across the Nation, a Small Army of Animal Dummies Have Been Deployed to Catch People Who Hunt in the Wrong Place

Two men in Maryland recently achieved Internet infamy when they were temporarily banned from hunting after they’d used crossbows to shoot a deer on state land.

Or so they thought.

The men had actually fallen prey to the ruse of a state-owned robotic deer, one of a growing number of remote-controlled decoys being used by American wildlife law enforcement to stop poachers. Across the nation, a small army of deer, elk, bear, turkey, fox and wolf dummies has been deployed to catch people who hunt in the wrong place, in the wrong season or otherwise illegally.

Here’s how it works: Officers truck a robo-animal out into the wild and stage it in an area where they’ve been tipped off about illegal hunting. Then the officers sit out of sight – in a truck, or maybe crouching in bushes – and use a remote to move the animal’s head, tail or legs.

Think you know enough? Skip down to a quiz to find out whether you can spot a robo-animal.

Demand for the decoys is huge, said Jim Reed of the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust, which donates them to anti-poaching agencies. Game wardens are chronically underfunded, he said, and robo-wildlife is pricey: A deer costs about $2,000; a black bear, up to $5,000. Wardens also are busy – the Humane Society says hunters kill at least as many animals illegally as legally.

The decoys look so alive because, well, they once were, said Brian Wolslegel, owner of the Wisconsin-based Custom Robotic Wildlife. Wolslegel — who does not hunt but instead raises deer in his backyard – makes the dummies out of hides acquired legally from hunters, game wardens or online. (You, too, can purchase a bear hide at taxidermy.net.)

Each year he sells as many as 100 whitetail deer, by far his most popular item. Officers, he said, tell him they make as much as $30,000 in fines off each fake animal.

“To have a poacher, a wild animal and a law enforcement officer at the same scene, it’s like winning the lottery,” he said. And then if the poacher is caught, “the animal already died in the process.”

Robo-wildlife, it turns out, are pretty hard to kill. If a bullet busts the motor, it’s replaceable, Wolslegel said. And most have a Styrofoam core, so a high-powered rifle shot passes through “with minimal damage,” Reed said. In fact, he said, some of the most realistic-looking decoys have been shot 100 times or more.

“The typical deer in the forest is not going to appear well-groomed. It may have a little mud stuck on its back, some hairs ruffled from the wind,” Reed said. The best decoys, he said, “get well-seasoned.”

Think you’re more observant than a poacher? Take this quiz to find out if you can tell a robo-animal from a live animal.

FOLLOW US!

Animals Have Escaped from the Zoo in Georgia’s Capital After Heavy Flooding Destroyed Their Enclosures

Tigers, lions, a hippopotamus and other animals have escaped from the zoo in Georgia's capital after heavy flooding destroyed their enclosures, prompting authorities to warn residents in Tbilisi to stay inside Sunday. At least eight people have been killed in the disaster, including three zoo workers, and 10 are missing.

An escaped hippo was cornered in one of the city's main squares and subdued with a tranquilizer gun, the zoo said. Some other animals also have been seized, but it remained unclear how many are on the loose. Bears and wolves are also among the animals who fled from their enclosures amid the flooding from heavy rains and high winds.

"Most of the escaped animals are believed to have died in the flood last night or were killed by special forces," Mzia Sharashidze, spokeswoman for Tbilisi Zoo, told NBC News. "Not many animals are still on the loose but it is difficult to say how many are still out there."

It wasn't immediately clear if the eight people were killed from the flooding or animal attacks. The zoo said one of the dead was Guliko Chitadze, a zookeeper who lost an arm in an attack by a tiger last month.

Heavy rains and wind hit Tbilisi during the night, turning a normally small stream that runs through the hilly city into a surging river. The flooding also damaged dozens of houses.

City mayor David Narmania told journalists that eight people were known to have died and 10 others were missing.

Helicopters are circling the city and residents have been told to stay indoors except in an emergency. About 1.1 million people live in the former Soviet republic's capital.

FOLLOW US!

When Did Dogs Become Man's Best Friend?

Man's best friend may have been domesticated about 15,000 years ago, evolving from wolves around the time that humans were establishing their first settlements, new evidence suggests.

Using sophisticated 3D imaging to analyze several fossil skulls, a study in this week's Nature Scientific Reports found dogs emerged much more recently than previously thought. Other studies in recent years had suggested dogs evolved as early as 30,000 years ago, a period known as the late Paleolithic, when humans were hunter-gatherers.

To read more on this story, click here: When Did Dogs Become Man's Best Friend?






FOLLOW US!

Controversy Over "Lost Dog" Super Bowl Spot

It appears not everyone is happy with Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” Super Bowl commercial. The Center for Biological Diversity has started a petition urging Anheuser-Busch CEO Thomas W. Santel to pull the spot because it’s “demonizing an endangered species” — namely, the wolf.

In the commercial, a Labrador makes a perilous journey to his home — a farm that was featured in “Puppy Love” and “Brotherhood” Budweiser Super Bowl spots. But when the puppy gets close to home, a wolf blocks his path. Fortunately, the dog is saved by the farm’s Clydesdales, who force the predator to flee.

To read more on this story, click here: Controversy Over "Lost Dog" Super Bowl Spot
FOLLOW US!