This comment may be helpful to some. Read my reply closely. You can view it here or on the original video page, where you can comment on your thoughts as well. A more in depth look into this video and the mistake of thinking that errors in handling animals of any sort should be hidden and shame placed upon the human that made them. Instead of creating a positive environment where everyone can learn together and help create better lives for captive animals and reduce the risk of injury or death at any moment. A fact of normal life-- when you work with wildlife for a living. If you cannot accept that. And accept that you are not perfect. You are setting yourself up for a disaster. ---------------------------------- Epiicfaiilable Well deserved. Throwing rocks at an animal however is disgusting. You had it coming lady. camelsandfriends Indeed. It is never the animal's fault-- especially when dealing with wild animals. So dramatic though-- throwing 'rocks'? I tossed a single pebble at him of grainy sandstone about the size of a penny. It landed near him and did not disturb him as you can see. He would not relate the object as it were-- coming toward him threw a quick move of air and sound as anything to do with me. He would only act on instinct and if he were in the mood to feel possessive or dominate over a high prized value piece of meat-- he would have quickly snapped at the air in the direction that the rock fell or near his body when it had invaded his personal space. I test him when I feel that it is appropriate, too. If he had done that, then we need to work on certain areas. Wolves test you all the time, it is a good thing to gauge their reactions in small ways that are in no way a bother to a 110 pound wolf with a big slab of meat at his chest. If you find that disgusting, you simply have no real knowledge of animals and especially not of wolves. I cannot teach you from the ground up, but I would forget everything you've made up in your head about them. You seem to be thinking of them as a person and they are not. They act quickly on instinct and if something starts with a wolf-- unlike with a human-- it will always escalate. It will not be a, "See you in the morning," argument. It will be one that you need to be ready to response to with compassion, calmness and with the understanding that it was your fault and there shouldn't be any anger toward the animal. It was my mistake that this happened. As stated in the video description and many times in comments. Lorne reacted appropriately to the situation. I acted appropriately back, therefore I was not seriously injured and neither was Lorne. Therefore, I walked out of his enclosure and was not killed. You must realize that no one forced me to upload this video to the internet-- exposed to potentially millions of people like you who are going to point at someone making a mistake and just ridicule something you don't even understand. I am willing to admit that I make mistakes. Everyone does. I filmed this. I uploaded it. And you are only watching it because I care more about animals and showing the truth-- than I care about you and anyone elses' opinions about my mistake reflecting bad on me as an animal behaviorist. Guess what. People make mistakes. No one is perfect and I am perfectly willing to continue to upload mine, so that others may learn from them. My mistake in this video was staying in the enclosure far too long and for not noticing the invasive red fire ants sooner. I should probably not have given him that meat at all and when he dragged it near the ants.. I made the mistake of thinking I needed to move it away from him first or risk Lorne getting bit up by these ants. I should have walked away and out a long time ago, but I did not. Therefore, it is my fault. And it will always be in any sort of negative situation with Lorne or any animal. Humans make mistakes. Animals can only react to ours. The ants are known to swarm and it is not uncommon that they kill livestock-- cattle and horses. They carry the undisputed most painful insect bite of any other species on the planet. I have been bit. It is agony. I could not imagine handling another bite or too. Again, my mistake. Lorne is a 110 pound wolf-- not bothered by a rock tossed toward him. I should have left and he could deal with the ants himself. A few bites aren't going to do anything, but cause him pain that would wear off within 48 hours and this situation would not have happened. But I stayed. Because I thought I could move him away and I could not-- before he was bit. It is so painful he was blinded with redirecting this sudden charge of adrenaline at me. He did not understand who else could be causing it and was trying to protect the meat. The video is here because I am showing that no matter what decisions you think are best for wild animals (such as I thought it was better to have him not be bit and try to help in a very risky situation rather than just go inside and let a wild animal deal with some ants)-- you can still get injured. Handling wildlife is risky. Every day. This is something that could happen to me with Lorne or any one of my animals. That is my choice to make and you have no real right to tell me what to do in the matter. As you are not being put at risk at all and I would not allow you to do so with this animal because you clearly do not know how to handle a wolf. Which brings me back to why I uploaded this video the most: I wanted to show those with wolfdogs, wolves, or many other exotic/wild or even domesticated animals that the best way to handle the situation is as I did here. It does not matter if it was your mistake or fault. There is only one thing to know: Remain calm. I cared about helping someone else one day who may remember this and not get taken to the emergency room or be killed. And then the animal face being euthanized by the police afterwards. You have missed the point entirely. I know I am to blame and it is not Lorne. That is why I show no anger or resentment toward him. That is why I am not mad or screaming at him. It is why I am calm and understanding of what he is doing. He is the wolf. I am a human and I see things differently that he cannot comprehend. It is my responsibility to take this risk and be understanding. Calmness can only be achieved if you really truly understand that is your fault and not the wild animal you are working with. You cannot lie and feel resentment. Especially during the attack. It will escalate and you may be killed. That is why I uploaded this. You focused on a small rock I threw toward him to test his state of mind, of which I got a very positive response from. Again, you missed the point entirely. Do you have any first hand experience working with wolves or any wild canine yourself? I really hope that you don't or else you need to-learn from the ground up. Stop humanizing wildlife and treat them with respect. Realize people make mistakes and that those that are fully willing to upload them to a large unknown and general public online and be honest and truthful have the animals best interest in mind and the ones that view this video. Otherwise? Delete the video. I was alone. No one would ever have to know.... that I am not perfect. Sorry, but I'm not like that. You can be like however you want. I do suggest though that you seek help. Your comment that I deserved to be attacked and possibly killed on camera by an animal because of mistakes I made are disturbing and not normal. Thank you for watching. I only wish that you gained something from it, instead of criticizing a situation you cannot even understand.
