• jqubed@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    If there was some way to be absolutely sure it wouldn’t kill or seriously injure me I would definitely pet and/or play with a wolf.

    Of course, with those caveats I could also say the same for bears, lions, tigers, cougars, panthers, …

    • Delphia@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      I think keeping a bear, even a very well trained and “domesticated” one is cruel and horrible. I also think that Russians make it look super fun and awesome on youtube.

      But eventually the bear is probably going to maul me and my last thought will be the Chris Rock quote on Siegfried and Roy… “That tiger didnt go crazy, THAT TIGER WENT TIGER!”

      • Tinidril@midwest.social
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        7 months ago

        There is a guy in my area that runs a wolf refuge and therefore has a zoo license. Local police took possession of an illegally owned black bear cub and came to him because it was too domesticated to release and they couldn’t find a zoo that would take it. He refused but then relented because the next option was euthanasia. Now his wolf sanctuary has a black bear that he raised by hand and does “wrestling” shows with. He and the bear pretend to wrestle in a bunch of different poses. The bear could snap him like a twig, but is clearly very affectionate towards him.

        https://bigrunwolfranch.org/

      • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        “That tiger didnt go crazy, THAT TIGER WENT TIGER!”

        Lol my wife and I use this quote all the time, but it’s so old that I don’t think anyone ever understands it.

        • Delphia@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          You know when that tiger was crazy? When it was riding around on the little bicycle “Ohhh Im a crazy tiger!”

      • jqubed@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        I mean, I guess I kind of married a cougar, and I do try to pet and play with her every day. Different kind of cougar than I meant in the other comment, though.

    • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      My partner and I went to a nature preserve the other day and had the exact same thought about buffalo. Still furry and warm, still friend shaped even if it has forehead spears. What if your furry snuggle buddy was an entire alive couch?

    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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      7 months ago

      Apparently, dropping them into ice water until their blood pressure drops could work. But it would be a cold wet cuddle, until it becomes a cozy warm deadly wrassle!

    • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      7 months ago

      Find someone with a wolf-dog, preferably mid to high content, hang out with it for a bit

      I owned a halfer (she-wolf and husky parents) and it was basically wolf default behaviours with begrudging love for his humans. Looked like a slightly (maybe 80% size) small wolf and had the body power and intelligence to match.

      It’s not exactly the same as being near a full wolf (which I have done) but it’s the experience you’re imagining for “friendly wolf”, and quite awesome