Shaun Ellis: A Man Among The Wolves

Some people think that Shaun Ellis is out of his mind. Others think he’s just eccentric and a braggart. Still others admire him and find his life inspiring and poetic, a true glorification of the instinctive friendship between man and his environment.

Shaun Ellis became a worldwide phenomenon after National Geographic published a documentary about his life among the wolves. He is the only known human adult willing to live with wolves and be part of their community. To the wolves, he is their alpha male.

Many scientists, especially biologists, have questioned Ellis’s experience because he was not part of any particular research team. Simply put, he loves animals and wanted to become a part of their lives to get to know them better.

There are known cases of children being raised by wolves and other animal species. Some have been abandoned by their families and then taken into a pack.

These examples are unique, and it’s fascinating to watch a human being accepted by the wolves and becoming one of the pack. When it comes to grown people, Shaun Ellis is the only man who has done this so far. How did a grown man manage to get into a wolf pack?

love for wolves

Shaun Ellis was born in England in 1964. He loved wolves from a very young age. He began to study them, and the more he learned, the more he became interested in them. The first time he saw a wolf was in a zoo. He says it was love at first sight.

Ellis went on with his life, but always remained interested in wolves. He enlisted in the British Army. Meanwhile, he went into the woods as often as possible at night to look for wolves. Just looking at them was enough.

After that, Shaun Ellis married and had five children, but he spent more time studying wolves than his family. At first his wife didn’t think his love for wolves was a problem, but over time she got irritated. So she left Ellis and took the kids with her.

The Amazing Journey of Shaun Ellis

Shaun Ellis volunteered at captive wolf centers, but this wasn’t enough. He couldn’t satisfy his need to get closer to them. He thought the best way to get to know them was to get closer to them in their natural environment. He then decided to go to Nez Perce National Park in Idaho.

There he lived with the local natives and learned everything they knew about wolves. He also began to get closer to the animals, slowly but surely.

He wanted to be accepted as one of them, but it wasn’t easy and it took eight months. One day the wolves gently nibbled at his knee. He knew this was a welcome gesture and was really excited.

Against all odds, Shaun Ellis started living with wolves and they eventually accepted him as their own. He ate the same raw meat they ate, and sometimes they peed on it before letting him eat.

There were a number of misunderstandings and a number of blows and bites. According to him, Ellis managed to “translate” their crying. He lived with the pack for eighteen months.

The return and a new chapter in life

It was not easy for Ellis to return to the human world. Seven months passed until he felt comfortable with his own kind again. He later published a book on the language of wolves and then went to Combe Martin Park in England, where he unplanned adopted three wolf orphans.

How do you raise three cubs? Ellis used everything he learned from his time with wolves. He didn’t want to domesticate them, but teach them how to live in the wild.

The cubs spent a year and a half in the care of Ellis. He taught them how to cry, he fed them with his own mouth. Later he taught them to hunt, as he had learned. He also taught them about discipline and hierarchies.

The three cubs saw him as their alpha male. Thinking the cubs were ready, Ellis released them into the wild to live among their own kind. Even though he left the pack, he hasn’t forgotten them. National Geographic heard about Shaun Ellis and made a documentary about him.

Several biologists around the world have expressed displeasure with Shaun Ellis’ techniques. After seeing the documentary about his life, they called him a thrill seeker.

Be that as it may, there is no doubt that Shaun Ellis is a controversial character and many people were amazed by his story. No one can deny how hard Ellis has worked to really get to know the animals he loves most.