Being close to a wolf can make your skin crawl, knowing that you’re in danger. It’s only a natural reaction, but there are some people that can walk with the wolves and even strike amazing friendships.
We’re talking about Danielle, who is a wildlife caretaker at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center.
20. Next to a Wolf
She has learned how to earn the wolves’ respect and trust, and they see her as their own.
Check out the next photos to see how awesome the Timber wolves Kekoa and Sakara are. Their stories are unbelievable!
19. Close Relationship
When you’re at a breath’s distance from a wolf’s face, you’d be petrified. But Danielle loves to spend time with Kekoa, who is an eight-year-old timber wolf.
She works at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center and loves every second of it.
18. A Viral Video
The center released a viral video of her and the wolf playing in the snow. It all starts with Kekoa sitting pretty next to her.
Then, he looks into her eyes and does the most adorable thing! We are melting over here!
17. The Brave One
Kekoa means “brave one” in Hawaiian. He is a huge Timber wolf, which came from the Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Florida along with Sakara, who is his sister.
Whenever the center gets visitors, Kekoa is the first one to greet them. He loves does this cute thing…
16. Sweet Kisses
Kekoa is quite a lover! He likes to lick people, and whenever he sees Danielle, he starts licking her entire face!
As for Danielle, she enjoys every second of it, saying that she has “always had a passion for nature and animals.” It is an honor to be accepted into their pack!
15. A Special Bond
“These wolves have my heart and I am honored to have been accepted into their pack,” said Danielle in an interview with The Dodo.
But as close as she is with the wolves at the center, her friendship with Kekoa is very special.
You won’t believe what he does after licking Danielle!
14. The Adorable Trio
Whenever you’re trying to find Kekoa or Sakara, you must first find Danielle, because they hang out every day in the sanctuary. In these photos, you can see that this trio is quite tight.
This handsome wolf loves the ladies, but he has a crush on Danielle! Look at him, wagging his tail like a pup!
13. Kekoa Is a Big Baby
It might look like Danielle is brave, and that Kekoa is terrifying, but he is actually a very big baby! On the center’s website, his bio writes:
“Kekoa is a handsome young male with a sweet personality, which is good because he loves to greet visitors with wolf kisses.” But how big Kekoa really is?
12. He Is Seven Feet Tall!
“When he puts his paws on another person’s shoulders he towers at about 7 feet,” said the caretaker. Kekoa is 115 pounds – that is a huge baby!
Check out how big he is, compared to Sakara and Danielle in the next photo.
11. Soft and Huge
Kekoa might be huge compared to Danielle, who is of average size. Sakara weighs 85 pounds and is just a little smaller than her brother is.
This soft and sweet wolf might be huge, but hugging him must feel great!
10. “It’s So FLUFFY!”
And when he starts rolling over his back for a belly scratch is when everyone on the internet lost it!
Seeing this huge and dangerous animal exposing his tummy and showing that he completely trusts Danielle is unbelievable.
9. He is Not a Wild Wolf
Michelle Smith, the wildlife center staffer, explained in an interview that Kekoa was “raised by people and bottle fed from the time he was born,” adding that “he is very well socialized.”
This is why he trusts Danielle and shows that he is vulnerable around her.
His behavior definitely wins him a lot of cuddle sessions!
8. The Perfect Company
Smith also said that Kekoa “enjoys the company of people.” However, she explains that he is still considered a wild animal because he was not domesticated or tamed.
She said that he shows his wild side “when he is around his sister.”
7. A Wild Wolf
“A wolf in the wild would not act this way,” said Smith, explaining that normal wild wolves never allow people to approach them – not to mention trying to pet them!
So, caring for these wolves is a unique experience and possibly the only way you can get to be friends with them.
6. Kekoa Loves the Attention
Unlike a wild wolf, Kekoa “loves to greet visitors with wolf kisses,” wrote the center on their website.
If you go check their YouTube or social media accounts, you can see the beautiful videos with him and his sister. They’re all so sweet!
5. Avoiding Humans
To survive, wolves prefer to avoid humans and stay away from them.
However, this video posted by the center shows how amazing the friendship between people and wolves can be if the wolves get a chance to trust us.
4. Not Big Bad Wolves
Looking at their behavior from all the photos and videos posted by the center on their social media account,
we discovered that wolves are not the evil characters that were once part of fairy tales and stories of the past…
3. Intelligent Animals
If you thought that dogs are intelligent, then imagine that wolves are a lot smarter when it comes to life skills and problem-solving.
They’re a lot more social when it comes to living in packs, compared to dogs.
2. Endangered Species
People have hunted and persecuted wolves for hundreds of years, considering wolves attacked their livestock.
Wolves have faced extinction, but they have somehow managed to survive all the harsh conditions, all thanks to their intelligence.
1. Adorable Wolves
We never thought we’d say that wolves are adorable. But look at Kekoa cuddling with Danielle and – literally – showering her with kisses! This is a side of wolves not many people get to witness.
It’s such an honor to be accepted by a pack of wolves!