Photographer Nick Jans was in Juneau, Alaska when he saw a wild black wolf. Thinking it was going to be a one-time sighting, he dashed out of his house to take pictures of the majestic creature. Little did he know that the wolf was going to drop by his residence regularly.
When two species meet
The wolf’s daily visits reached a point where it began to interact with Dakotah, Jans’ Labrador Retriever. One day, Dakotah escaped and ran towards the wolf. The two animals stood in front of each other, nose to nose. Jans was torn between running after Dakotah and taking pictures of the first meeting between two different species. He grabbed his camera anyway.
That first meeting gave birth to a beautiful relationship between the wolf and Dakotah. The wolf dropped by Jans’ house each day to invite Dakotah to come out and play. This went on for several years. It reached a point where Jans’ neighbors named the wolf, “Romeo.”
Romeo and Dakotah
Jans’ wife used to disapprove of the unusual pairing. Whenever she saw the wolf come near Dakotah, she shook folded her arms and shook her head. No amount of disapproval from Jans’ wife stopped the two animals from playing with each other. At some point, Romeo started acting like a dog, begging Jans to play fetch with him.
The whole experience was put into writing when Jans wrote the book, “A Wolf Called Romeo.” He marveled at how Romeo and Dakotah’s daily greeting would last for more than a minute. It was rare since wolves are known for killing animals that are not of their kind. A wild wolf’s average life span is also only three years, making Romeo and Dakotah’s six-year friendship extra special.
Credits to Romeo: The Story of an Alaskan Wolf
