The story of Aleksandar Paljic from Sevce: An unusual friendship between a man and a she-wolf

The wolf is a symbol of freedom and wilderness, an animal that is difficult for humans to approach. Nevertheless, Aleksandar Paljic from Sevce, in the municipality of Strpce, has managed to build an unusual relationship with a she-wolf that has been part of his life for three years. Instead of fear and distance, trust and attachment have gradually developed between them.

Aleksandar’s chance encounter with a cub turned into a companionship that has lasted for more than three years. He says he tried several times to return the she-wolf to the place where he found her, but she always came back to him.

“It was three years ago. My father and I went out to pick mushrooms and noticed a cub. At first, we watched it, not knowing what to do, and then we decided to take it home and return it to the wild later. It turned out to be a young she-wolf, and as she grew up with us, she became accustomed to people and gradually tamed. When she was around ten months old, we tried to return her to the wild, to the place where we had found her. When we let her go, she did not want to leave but kept coming back to us. She will stay with us for as long as she wants to, because she can always leave if she wishes,” Paljic told Kosovo Online.

In addition to the she-wolf, he also has three dogs, which get along well with her and spend time together.

“She likes playing with the dogs, but they, on the other hand, tend to avoid her, especially the hunting dogs that are familiar with wolves. Although she has accepted people, the she-wolf is still not like a dog and differs from them. She is very active, but unlike dogs, she is disobedient and cannot be taught things that a dog learns easily,” Paljic said.

He explained that he takes care of the she-wolf mostly on his own and that, apart from feeding her regularly, it is especially important to him to spend as much time as possible with her in nature.

“I do not have much work to do to look after her. We spend most of our time together walking. When she is on a leash, the walks are shorter, but I let her roam in nature for longer periods, since that is where she comes from. I feed her exclusively bones, which are the only food she accepts,” Paljic said.

He pointed out that the she-wolf has formed the closest bond with him, but that his neighbors, after initially being afraid of her, have also accepted her and grown fond of her.

“She has bonded with me the most and feels completely at ease with me. I let her go everywhere without a leash, without fearing that she will do anything, because she is completely tame. I take her everywhere, into nature and out on the streets, and she always comes back on her own. At first, when I found her, people would mostly ask me what I needed her for. But now that she has grown, they no longer see it that way. They cannot believe how much she has changed and how tame she has become. She often wanders off and walks around the village on her own, and she does not frighten anyone because people have grown accustomed to her,” Paljic said.