Star of the Channel Five documentary The Wolfman, wolf behaviour expert Shaun Ellis has learnt about the physicality and psyche of wolves and how they work together by living with them.
In 2005, three abandoned wolf pups led Shaun to make a daring move, raising a pack of wolves in captivity by living with them...as a wolf, teaching them by example how to survive in the wild.
Through his experience of becoming an integral part of the wolf pack, and having a specific role within the group, he has a unique insight into one of the most complex models of group behaviour.
In this detailed talk he will explain what it was like to work with the wolves from inside the pack and how they live and help each other.
Through Shaun’s experience he will guide you through his insights into pack behaviour and provide you with his improved ideas on how to deal with your own animals.
As well as The Wolfman, Shaun Ellis has also featured in a recent ITV1 documentary on the ancestry of domestic dogs presented by Martin Clunes.
Read more about how Shaun Ellis's unique relationship with wolves developed
FREE EVENT
To book a place, email wsf@glyndwr.ac.uk or call 01978 293466
Biography - Shaun Ellis
As a child growing up in a rural farming community there were few other children for Shaun to bond with.
This lack of a peer group caused him to look to the countryside wildlife for friendship. He felt at home in the woodland at night and learned to use his senses of smell and hearing to find his way around in the darkness.
Shaun bonded with the badgers and foxes, and soon they became relaxed and fearless in his presence. He was privileged to be allowed to watch their family groups and to study their behaviour.
In later years Shaun's determination and perseverance paid dividends when a chance encounter with a Native American biologist at a wolf seminar allowed him to become a volunteer. He joined a project studying wolves at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Idaho.
It was while working in Idaho in up to three feet of snow that Shaun realised that the best way to learn about wolves was to return to his childhood ways and live alongside them.
His studies evolved as he began recording wild wolf howls in the woods, using recording equipment at night in freezing temperatures and snow, and then playing them back again and again the next day. Through this direct study, he has learned how to communicate with the wolves and defend himself through scent and sounds. He understands scent markings as well as the different howls to defend and call.
Shaun is involved in a number of research projects both in Poland and at Yellowstone National Park, with the goal of developing humane methods to discourage wolves from entering areas of potential conflict with humans.
Shaun is the author of The Wolf Talk (2003) and Spirit of the Wolf (2005).
He continues to work with captive wolves in Combe Martin, Devon, England and continues to maintain an in-depth study into wolf behaviour.
Shaun and his colleagues are constantly discovering new sides to these fascinating creatures.
