Shaun Ellis: A Man Among Wolves

Some believe that Shaun Ellis “is not quite right in the head”. Others think he is just eccentric and wants to show off. At the same time, others admire him and believe that his life is inspiring and poetic, a true glorification of the instinctive friendship between people and their environment.

Shaun Ellis became a world-famous phenomenon after National Geographic published a documentary about his life among wolves. He is the only known man who willingly left to live with wolves and become part of their community. In fact, for the wolves, he is the alpha male.

Many researchers, especially biologists, have questioned Shaun Ellis’ experiences because they were not part of a study. To put it simply, he loved animals and wanted to be a part of their lives to get to know them better.

There are known cases where children have been raised by wolves and other species. Some have been abandoned by their families, and later accepted by the herd. These examples are incredible, and it was fascinating to see how humans were accepted by the wolves  and that  they became part of the herd. When you think of adults, the only one that comes to mind so far is Shaun Ellis. How was it possible for a grown man to become part of the wolf pack?

A love for wolves

Shaun Ellis was born in England in 1964. He has enjoyed wolves since he was very young. He began to study them for himself, and the more he knew about them, the more interested he became. The first time he saw a wolf was in a zoo. He said it was love at first sight.

Ellis’ life went on, but he was always interested in wolves. He joined Britain’s defense. Meanwhile, whenever he had the opportunity, he went into the woods to film the wolves. Just looking at them was enough.

Shaun Ellis later married and had five children, but he spent more time studying wolves than with his family. At first his wife thought that it did not matter so much that he was so fond of wolves, but over time she became annoyed. That’s why she took the children with her and left Ellis.

The wonderful journey of Shaun Ellis

Shaun Ellis volunteered at captive wolf centers, but this was not enough. He simply could not satisfy the need to get even closer to them. He thought that the best way to get to know them was to get closer to them in their natural habitat. He therefore decided to go to Nez Perce National Park in Idaho.

There he lived with the local tribe and learned everything they knew about wolves. Little by little, he also began to get closer to the animals. He wanted to be accepted as one of them, but this was not so easy. In fact, it took a full eight months. One day the wolves gently pricked his knee. He knew this was to welcome him, which really made him excited.

Against all odds, Shaun Ellis began living with the wolves, and they ended up accepting him as one of their own. He ate the same raw meat as the wolves, and sometimes they would pee on it before they let him eat it. They also had some misunderstandings with clashes and bites. According to Ellis, he learned what their howling meant. He lived with the herd for 18 months.

The return and a new chapter in life

It was not easy for Ellis to return to the human world. It took seven months before he felt comfortable with his own species again. He later published a book about the language of wolves, and afterwards he went to Combe Martin Park in England where he, quite unexpectedly, adopted three orphaned wolf puppies.

How to raise three wolf puppies? Ellis used everything he learned from his time with the wolves. He did not want to tame them, but teach them how to live in the wild. Ellis took care of the wolf puppies for three and a half years. He taught them to howl, and he gave them food by mouth. He later taught them to hunt, just as he himself had learned. He also taught them about discipline and hierarchies.

The three wolf puppies saw him as their alpha male . When he thought they were ready, Ellis released them into the wild to live with their own species. Even though he left his flock, he had not forgotten them. National Geographic heard about Shaun Ellis and made a documentary about him.

Several biologists around the world have expressed that they do not feel comfortable with Shaun Ellis’ techniques. After watching the documentary about his life, they called him sensationalist. No matter what others think, there is no doubt that Shaun Ellis is a controversial character and that many were surprised by his story. No one can deny how hard Ellis worked to get to know the animals he loves so much.