Lots of animals can be kept as pets, from common ones like dogs and cats to exotic ones like snakes and parrots. But this case is really special. This is a pet named Kira. Kira is a wolf.
Alida decided to take the wolf puppy when she was only 3 days old, then she was already without a mother. This 3-day-old wolf pup was abandoned by its mother, nature seemed ᴄʀᴜᴇʟ. Fortunately for the helpless pup, she was there to save its life.
Alida took in the young puppy and began to raise her much like a dog. But unlike a dog, the puppy didn’t have generations of domestication in her genes so it took a lot of work and socialization to try to domesticate the wild wolf. They started living together, raising her and training her. Since the wolves are from the wild, it was a real challenge to tame Kira. Wolves are wild at heart, and unlike dogs, don’t have generations of domestication in their genes, so understandably, Kira was quite difficult to domesticate.
After so much effort and work by Alida, Kira became like a dog. Calm and safe for the environment, it would not hurt anyone. It is clear that Kira would not be able to cope in the wild now, she would probably die because she does not know how to hunt. No one has ever learned to hunt her, as her mother abandoned her immediately after birth, and she has been fed by hand ever since.
Alida had this to say about the mother: “If released into the wild, there’s a high probability she will ᴅ.ɪ.ᴇ since no one taught her to hunt. Kira’s mother abandoned her babies when they were 3 days old and in the nursery, so they were fed by hand. And I took her away as soon as Kira got stronger and also first fed her with milk.”
When Kira was 28 days old, Alida decided to take her in. She says she is very smart but quite stubborn. From the beginning, Alida has been trying to socialize with Kira, so Kira has seen a large number of people and children along with dogs. “I took her from the nursery when she was 28 days old. She is smart but very stubborn. When making decisions, she focuses on herself, not me. From the very beginning, I began the process of her socialization. She saw a huge number of dogs, people, and children.”
Of course, there were always problems when Kira grew up, but in the end, everything turned out well. The effort is always worth it. Kira is really calm and other dogs cannot provoke her aggression nor does she become aggressive herself. She is very calm and attentive when children are around. In case someone does not want the child close, is scared, and cries, Kira will move away.
Although it wasn’t easy, with Alida’s dedication to training and socialization, Kira grew up to be confident and learned to trust people and new situations:
“Upbringing, too, had its problems, but with age, it all goes away and the work bears fruit—Kira has a stable and mild psyche, does not react to aggression from other dogs, and does not provoke conflicts herself. She treats children very carefully and if the child is afraid of her, she doesn’t approach him.”
Alida is responsible for her new life. She is not afraid of the new world now.
Alida has a son Bogdan who is only 7 years old, so she is often asked on the street what it is like to live with a wolf at home, especially because of the child. Also often people want to be photographed with a wolf
Today, Kira is full-grown and happily living with Alida and her son, who Kira loves dearly. The family has its fans and critics but by understanding how and why this special wolf needed saving, it is easier to understand how a wolf that should have been living in the wild, ended up with a loving family.