Wolves

In the dusk a shot tears the silence. All Tuwa people run out from their tepees. “What is wrong?”, asks Tanja in the excitement. Ovogdorj comes run and reports about a wolf crept around his reindeers. He has shot at him and has missed him.

Suddenly several reindeers come to the camp coagulated. As a result the men saddle immediately some riding animals and leave the camp. “Today the wolves creep around. Our reindeers have searched protection and have run to the camp. Now the men ride in the taiga. They hope to be able to keep the predators away from our reindeers”, explains Tsaya.

It is already pitch-dark as the men come back. “Have you seen wolves?”, I ask Ultsan. “Ügüj”, (“No”) he answers. “We nearly never get to see wolves. They are too intelligent. When they attack our reindeers then mostly only at night”, he explains. “I am surprised that they are able to catch reindeers in generally. Nevertheless, they are crazily quick?”, I ask. “Yes, they are quicker and more persevering than wolves, unfortunately, not very intelligent. They flee for a while and then remain to eat. They have quickly forgotten their mortal enemy. Maybe they also do not recognize the difference between wolves and our dogs peacefully lie beside them. The clever wolves know that of course and wait for a suitable opportunity. It even can happen that a pack of wolfs tear a reindeer and while they it eat it up the other stand besides and watch or eat their Reindeers lichens”, he explains.