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Dog Wolf (Lobo Park Antequera)
For me the story of the dog/wolf begins on our recent move to Spain bringing with us the most important part of my family – the dog. When leaving our distant shores for Andalucia we never gave a thought as to whether or not our dog would be accepted as a dog in Spain. A strange statement to make? Flown into Spain in the best way we could afford, from the moment he stepped out of his kennel in Malaga airport he was regarded with awe, admiration and fear. A scrap of life, rescued at age 3 months by the police from a house of torture, he is now a 5 stone, healthy dog. As no-one, at age 3 months could make out what breed or cross breed he was, he was DNA tested as being 90% Alsatian, 8% golden retriever and 2% untraceable.
His coat is a beautiful and unusual brindle colour, his chest carries the white crusader cross and he has four tiny white tufts on his toes. He is a dog! Why then is our house known in the town by the Spanish, as La Casa del Lobo? Older Spanish men ask us where we got him from and are amazed he came from Britain, Spanish children run alongside him on his walks calling him el lobo, and all seem to be equally fascinated that we are walking this "wolf" on a leash. After a while, I discovered that apparently he looks remarkably like the sub species known as the Iberian Wolf of which there are reputedly 60 still left living wild in Andalucia. Researching the Iberian Wolf, I have discovered that yes, there are real dog/wolfs, which are not be confused by the unscrupulous breeders mating Alsatians with Huskies and selling the puppies as dog/wolfs. The true dog/wolf comes from mating a female Alsatian with a male wolf. The resulting puppies are half dog and half wolf, an illegal practice which is outlawed in most countries but which can of course happen naturally between a feral dog and a wolf in the wild. Where did all this lead to with my dog though? In between his excursions in the outside world, Cracker is of course a dog. A very clever dog mind you, who could challenge "golden balls" David Beckham on the football field with an amazing display of dribbling, headers and ball bending. Cracker, "furry balls" as he is known on the field, did have aspirations of becoming a top class footballer but unfortunately has not quite got the idea that he has to share the ball with ten team mates and another eleven in the opposing team. As Brian has photographed him so much he does seem to be getting ideas on the modelling front though and has, I have to admit perfected his "Monarch of the Glen" pose on our furniture. Back in the outside world in Spain, he is seen as a domesticated wolf with an attitude like the wolf of a deep-rooted fear of man with good cause. By now, I felt, I really had to see for myself how like the real Iberian wolf he was. After spending a few hours, sitting in the wilderness, waiting patiently for a wolf to come by, I had to admit defeat. I read, through this magazine, about the Lobo Park and that it had Iberian Wolves amongst others. I have to admit I was a bit nervous about visiting it in case the wolves were in cages and the place would be set up as a plastic tourist attraction. On arriving there, my fears were instantly allayed. The wolves were free in enclosures stretching for acres and live as wild as is possible whilst being protected from the hunting instincts of man. Finally I got to meet my Iberian Wolves. One female in particular sat slightly apart from the rest and as we eyeballed each other from about 6 foot I could see only too clearly how my dog could be mistaken for this beautiful creature even down to the black stripes on his front legs, the baleful, watching eyes, the slinking, low walk when creeping up on prey. The wolf has been such a maligned animal throughout history, no other animal has ever, quite wrongly been so misunderstood, through stories of werewolves and horror films, and even through Christianity when Jesus is depicted as the shepherd, we are his lambs and the devil is depicted as the wolf! Yet the Grey Wolf is the direct ancestor of our beloved domestic dogs. I have nothing but praise for Daniel Weigend and Alexandra Stieber, who run the Lobo Park at Antequera and would recommend a visit to anyone. If I did but live a little nearer I would love to work with these animals. I am lucky, I can howl with a dog/wolf every day – go to the Lobo Park and see Daniel howling with the European Wolves. It is an incredible experience. Whereas I really do not want people queuing at my door to see my own precious El Lobo, you can read Cracker’s desperate struggle to live and his equally desperate struggle to find a "Daddy" in his first book "Crackerkins – I want a Daddy" and the sequel he is working on now "Crackerkins Moves to Spain" due for publication soon. Article: Ursula BealPhotographs: Brian Gradywww.avistaandaluz.com For further information on Lobopark visit www.lobopark.com
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 03 April 2007 10:06 )
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