2 Wolves Escape from Predator World in Branson West

[MrsDucky]

There are many stories around the state of animals escaping. There was a few that escaped just outside of Springfield about 15 years ago, from a man that had exotic "pets." This is a debate that will go on for years, as long as people are willing to try to domesticate animals. Some will be successful, and that's great. Some will not be, and that will be bad for them and the animals. In the long run, I think the animals lose. Whether you believe in evolution from species to species or not, you see that within a species it happens. Each generation learns something new. When they do, they unlearn something they no longer need. Therefore, when they are forced back into their natural habitat, it is no longer theirs. Kind of like a lot of us a few weeks ago, being forced into a world without electricity.

[SilverMallard]

Good point Ms Ducky. Animals...not unlike most people...seek the easiest food sources. So they will feed on what they find that is easy to get at. That will be trash, small game animals, livestock, and then small children in isolation. The would take down a deer before they would attack a 10 year old. But they might take a 2 year old over the deer...easier to catch. Depends on what they FIND.

Like I said, the wolves will probably die before they do any real predation. They've been raised in captivity. But remember this: even domestic pigs begin to grow tusks and hair and hunt in packs within 2 weeks of being liberated. A wolf raised in captivity is NOT a "dog." It's a disadvantaged wolf. And even domesticated dogs gone feral are dangerous to livestock and children...and sometimes adults.

[crappiefisherman]

130 lbs and 100 lbs seems kind puny to me for timber wolves,175 lb adult at 2 years old are more common.One is pregnant.Is she ready to litter or has she been freshly bred?We dont have enough info to make judgment on this yet.Also wolves in the wild, travel up to 40 miles a day but they seem to think they will stay near the area of captivity.Define near.The land behind the animal farm we will call it is at best 1000 acres of woods and also its being manicured as they say for the new development in the branson west area.I personal could care less, but I wouldnt want any good ole boy hunters shooting the animals because they think they are gonna maul a child walking in the woods. It is entirely possible that the wolves will come back to the only food they know and this will be a story to talk about for a few months then be forgotten.

[Rusty]

Am I sensing a little fear'mongering going on? The outcome of this is completly up to the people of the area. Let them try to make it outside captivity, or shot and kill them out of fear? I don't know, but then again, they are not a convicted murderer are they. I for one, am pulling for the wolves.

Edited to add: How can they be considered escaped, when the owners of said exotic animals did not meet the responsability to protect the animals from the people outside. That is what they are supposed to do, right?

[Gary Lange]

Having Backpacked in Wolf Country two separate times I would not be in fear at all to be in the woods with these animals. I would be in fear of wild dogs or even tame dogs that are running loose. I have heard more incidents of dogs mauling people or small children then a Wolf. I hope they get captured again before some unknowing fool kills them out of fear of the unknown.

Also the Wolves were hunted to near extinction not out of fear so much as that they interfeared with the farm animals that were left running free on the range. People usually fear things out of ingnorance kinda like my fear of Snakes such as the Copperhead and Cottonmouth.

[crappiefisherman]

SNAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[davekeim]

Lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh My!

Signed,

Cardiac

[SilverMallard]

Again, we "hear" of more dog attacks because there are about 50,000 dogs living near people to every wolf in North America living...period.

Yes, livestock predation was the reason for wolf eradication. See my list of their likely "food pyramid" above.

Also, they will hunt for food at night. Most people are indoors...especially children.

People really have very little to fear from a pair of wolves. A human contact incident would most likely be an adolescent boy stumbling upon them and getting too close out of curiosity. Same with snake bites, btw. About 75% of poisonous snake bites in US emergency rooms involve a male victim between the ages of 10-20 who tried to "mess with" the snake instead of leaving it alone.

The wolves are "escapees" because they chewed through heavy gauge steel wire that is routinely used to cage bears and tigers...and wolves...in order to open a gate and leave in the middle of the night. What would YOU call that?

And, yes, wolves can MOVE. And that is their nature. But they usually only do that to breed and when pursuing quarry that is traveling to avoid predation. They have been tracked electronically pursuing quarry over 500 miles in a matter of days. That is a big part of why I said they are likely to try to return to where they came to Predator World from. My wife's sister had a Dachshund that she gave to a friend with a traveling circus in Germany. 6 months later, the dog showed up at their doorstep. During that time, the circus had been in Northern Germany near Scandanavia. And their doorstep was in Bavaria...on the Southern tip of Germany. Germany is the size of Texas. So this was like Amarillo to Houston.

[crappiefisherman]

chewed through heavy guage steel wire, in order to open a gate?what would I call that?I would call that carelessness on the part of the owner.Was the gate wired shut?Also is this public info and how do you find it, im interested.I love a good story as well as anyone..........................................................................

....................................Gosh im glad you didnt say that dog showed up in forsyth.....................

[Rusty]

My "call" would be, they should have pulled their teeth. That way they would not have been tempted to chew their way out.

I do question, they chewed thier way out, especially when they use the same material for tigers and bears. It sounds like someone is covering their rear with that excuse.

On a more serious note, should the wolves be killed because humans had them in captivity? My opinion, no. But, someone will want to get their jonez off by doing so.

As much as this pains me to say this, they will be safer in captivity. Assuming they were raised in captivity, they will have no survivial skills in the human world, no longer theirs.

All my opinions are based on speculation, I have not been to the facility in question. It just seems rather strange on how they escaped from captivity to be back in a natural environment. Survivial I guess.