See the Adrenaline-Pumping Video of Two Men Freeing a Wolf Caught in a Trap

Written by Sharon Parry
Updated: October 20, 2023
Share on:

Watch the Fascinating Footage Below!

Sometimes animals fail to realize that you are trying to help them and they hinder rather than help the situation. These two men are putting themselves in danger by trying to release a wolf from a trap. One of its rear limbs is caught in the trap and one of the men has used a pole to pin the wolf to the ground so that it cannot bite anybody. Speed is of the essence!

Once the trap is released and the two men have moved away, the wolf sits up and looks a bit baffled for a while. Then it realizes that it is actually free and limps away. Hopefully, its leg recovered quickly.

Are Wolves Aggressive or Submissive?

Two wolves greeting each other.

Wolves are pack animals so communication is important

©Pat-s pictures/Shutterstock.com

Similar to domestic dogs, wolves can show both aggressive and submissive behavior. As pack animals, communication and body language are very important to them. An aggressive stance in a wolf is a body posture with slow and deliberate movements. They bare their teeth, their ears are forward and their tail is held high. You may also notice that their hair is raised.

In contrast, submissive behavior looks very like the begging and licking behavior of pups. There may also be a low posture, with the tail held low and possibly wagging. They may also lie on their back or side exposing their belly to the other dog or animal.

How Do Wolves React to Humans?

grey wolf

Wolves generally try to avoid humans.

©AB Photographie/Shutterstock.com

Most human-wolf interactions do not involve a trapped paw! Mostly, wolves try to avoid humans unless they have become habituated to them. If you do meet a wolf in the wild, the official advice from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is to stay calm. Sneaking up on wolves is not a great idea so make sure that they are aware of your presence by making loud noises – talk in a loud and firm voice. At this stage, most wolves will run away.

Rarely, the wolf will approach you and start to act aggressively. If this happens, react by waving your arms around, shouting, and trying to make yourself look bigger. Bear spray, air horns or even simply throwing rocks can also be effective. If there is more than one of you, bunch together and back away slowly!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © AB Photographie/Shutterstock.com


Share on:
About the Author

Dr Sharon Parry is a writer at A-Z animals where her primary focus is on dogs, animal behavior, and research. Sharon holds a PhD from Leeds University, UK which she earned in 1998 and has been working as a science writer for the last 15 years. A resident of Wales, UK, Sharon loves taking care of her spaniel named Dexter and hiking around coastlines and mountains.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.