This man saved a male wolf pup and raised it as a pet
Adopting a wolf is not quite like adopting a dog, but this man could not help himself when he had the opportunity to adopt an orphaned wolf pup that was only a few weeks old.
Although a wolf is a wild animal and not usually deemed to be suitable as a pet, and despite being considered quite dangerous, Ivan Lebedev did not think twice about adopting the three-week-old wolf pup.
It was 8 May 2017, in the Astrakhan region in Russia, when some farmers found several wolf pubs and because these animals are considered to be dangerous, they wanted to get rid of them.
Fortunately, Ivan, a 46-year-old physical therapist who works in a retirement home for the elderly and disabled, bought one of these wolf pups from the farmers, to save it from its fate.
via Gray Wolf
He named it Seryi, which in Russian means "gray".
In this unexpected adventure, Ivan was helped by his daughter Alexandra, who is now 19 years old and is a dog trainer.
For a while, however, they had remained in Astrakhan but then moved to Volgograd, where they currently live.
Alexandra first studied at the Volgograd State University and then got another degree at the Volgograd State Agricultural University to obtain her specialization.
Currently, Seryi, the gray wolf, is two and a half years old, he is 2 ft 4 in tall (70 cm) and weighs about 99 pounds (45 kg).
Ivan told us that his pet needs to walk a lot, regardless of the temperatures outside, so he warns - having a wolf in the house is very demanding.
Especially when considering that Ivan almost never has any free time, but that he must find the time to take Seryi on long walks every day!
Although people think wolves are wild and dangerous animals, Ivan said that his pet wolf actually behaves like any other dog. And often, Seryi is even afraid. For example, he is afraid to cross very wide streets and to meet unknown things in his path, such as boxes or other objects.
Ivan does not let strangers take pictures with Seryi because they frighten him a lot, and also because he is not a circus animal ― he is part of the family.
He takes Seryi on a leash, without a muzzle when they go for their isolated walks.
Prior to Seryi's arrival, Ivan already had dogs in the house, therefore, for Seryi, they represent the oldest members of his pack.
Like any other dog, Seryi bites, but only when he is stressed or bored. When they go for walks, the wolf gets along with other dogs of his size or almost equal, but he completely ignores smaller dogs.
Although Seryi is a somewhat demanding pet, he knows well that Ivan is in charge and respects him as the pack leader. Ivan's daughter Alexandra, for example, cannot give Seryi medicine or carry him around as her father does.
They feed Seryi daily with meat or chicken. He eats about 2.5 lb (1.2 kg) of protein per day, but he can also eat vegetables, fruit or berries. From time to time, they also give him dog biscuits, nuts, and honey to supplement his diet.
Wolves are very intelligent animals and, in all this time together, Ivan has seen his Seryi take care of and protect the other two dogs and also his daughter, Alexandra. Seryi is also able to open windows and even turn on the lights in the house!
For those who dream of having a wolf as a pet, Ivan has some important advice: NEVER adopt one. Don't do it.
A wolf is very demanding, which steals a lot of time and energy and in general, is not easy to take care of.
But if for some unimaginable reason, you find yourself with a wolf pup at home, then you need to spend a lot of time together to create a very solid bond.
To develop this unbreakable bond you must sleep together, go for walks, and make sure you are the only one who feeds your wolf ― and try to keep it away from other people, so as not to have any problems.
