El espíritu indómito y agreste del lobo ibérico | El Confidencial

The wild and indomitable spirit of the Iberian wolf |El Confidencial
The relationship between the wolf and the human being has always been marked by conflict. Living with this beautiful animal has never been easy, but together we must make it possible

Iberian wolf observation in Zamora. (Photo: Andoni Canela)

By Andoni Canela

Everything is said about the wolf, good things and bad things, with and without reason. Bloodthirsty, fierce, brutal, ruthless, ancient enemy. Persecuted, slaughtered, scapegoat, victim. Survivalist, cunning, intelligent, fearless, opportunistic, adaptable, untamed.

Valid or applicable attributes to these beautiful animals, but also to the human being. Contradictory and conflicting adjectives that reflect the marked contrasts of opinion that its existence generates. But perhaps there is one that can lead to a consensus between the parties: I mean that last qualifier; indomitable.

From Latin ‘Indomĭtus’ (RAE) means not tamed, not tamed, difficult to hold or repress. And indeed: this is the wolf. I would also add another remarkable trait: that of his resistance, never giving up. Total resilience.

Wolves and humans have shared the planet for millennia. They have evolved together and almost always in opposition. In many places, as in much of Western Europe, humans managed to exterminate the wolf. But, the ‘canis lupus’ resisted the persecution and survived in a few natural refuges. Now, he returns to part of his former territories.

Juan Carlos del Olmo

The wolf kills the cattle when he can, or when they let him. To eat Either that same day or the next. For himself or his pack. The human being kills the wolf when he can, he wants or when they leave him. Shot, with traps or poison. Legally and illegally. Sometimes to defend food from him. Also for revenge or for simple hatred. Both species are social and live in family groups or herds.

I review the field notebook from those years when I was trying to photograph an Iberian wolf for the first time. For me, it is the animal that has always represented the wildest side of nature. Also the most mysterious and elusive. After several attempts, at the end of the 20th century, I managed to see the first one. It was in the rain, and just a few seconds, while crossing a clearing in the forest. A seen and not seen. Perhaps even imagined.

With renewed faith, a year later, I returned to the same place: the Sierra de la Culebra. It was my third trip to this lost enclave in the west of Zamora, very close to the border with Portugal.

Rain, pine forests and bushes. Footprints in the mud. I wait for the wolf. Days go by. Cold, damp, wind. The subzero thermometer. The wolf does not appear. The deer salute, the wild boars also. The rain accompanies me. I see the same fox three days in a row. On the last day, he has all his coat wet and dark. The cold continues.

From dawn until nightfall: contemplation, hope, fatigue. The wolf still does not appear. And on the seventh day … finally, the time has come. Unexpected and surprising. This is how the few close encounters with the wolf tend to be. We crossed our eyes for a few seconds. Then he looks into infinity and … disappears. And that’s when I ask myself: will wolves think?