The "Internet celebrity wolf" in Hoh Xil was fed by tourists and turned into a "fat ball"! Should we feed it?

"It only eats some meat now, and generally doesn't eat vegetarian food."

In the past year, a wild wolf in Hoh Xil that begged for food from humans has become a frequent visitor along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. As the story spread on the Internet, it has also become a "net celebrity wolf."

However, the current condition of this wild wolf is worrying. Because it was constantly fed, this wolf, which was originally unkempt and skinny, has now become plump and even begs for food from passing vehicles. How did this "Internet celebrity wolf" become a "fat wolf"?

The "lone wolf" was fed by tourists and turned into a "fat wolf"

Feeding behavior affects the survival of wild animals

According to the police officers of the Kekexili Forest Public Security Bureau who were patrolling nearby, this wild wolf began to appear near the Qinghai-Tibet Highway about a year ago. In order to take a close-up photo of the wild wolf, someone fed it food to lure it closer.

Over time, the wolf got used to it and would actively approach people to ask for food when they saw them park their cars. As more people fed them, the wolf became more picky about food.

Now, the wolf has become accustomed to being close to humans and has begun to rely on humans to feed it. Due to the abundance of food, the wolf has become visibly fatter, which has also caused concern among zoologists.

Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that feeding human food to wild animals is equivalent to letting them ingest high salt, which can easily pose a threat to their health .

Not only that, now this wolf not only lives a life of being fed by people on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, but also brings more and more companions, forming a wolf pack begging for food on the roadside. At most, the staff found 12 wild wolves around the area where the "Internet celebrity wolf" often moved.

Ni Ga, head of the Hoh Xil Management Office of Sanjiangyuan National Park, said that if wolves rely on people to feed them to survive, the wildness of the wolves and the survival rules of the entire population will change, causing damage to the balance and authenticity of the entire ecology .

Feeding or disturbing wild animals at close range

There are many hidden dangers in roadside parking for feeding

As ecological protection efforts have been intensified in recent years, wolves, marmots, Tibetan antelopes and other animals that were rarely seen in the past have appeared frequently, and people are feeding wild animals more and more. Experts and managers point out that this phenomenon will not only damage the health and hunting ability of wild animals, but also cause irreversible impacts on the ecological chain.

"When the physical health of wolves is threatened, the worst outcome is that all wolves become sick and cannot catch wild animals, which will lead to a surge in the number of ungulates such as Tibetan antelopes, thereby destroying the grasslands." Lian Xinming introduced that for the fragile ecological environment of Hoh Xil, once the grass coverage on the surface decreases, it will easily cause a series of ecological problems such as desertification.

Experts and managers also pointed out that wild animals are wild by nature, and are particularly aggressive when obtaining and eating food. If they are fed at close range, they may be angered and dangerous at any time.

In addition, the high altitude lack of oxygen and narrow roads can easily cause congestion and traffic accidents due to tourists feeding the animals and random parking.

Expert Tip: Do Not Disturb is the best protection

At present, the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration and other departments have issued notices many times, strictly prohibiting people from feeding wild animals, and have set up warning signs in relevant areas; at the same time, the Hoh Xil Forest Public Security Bureau has dispatched additional police forces in key areas, increased patrol efforts, and promptly discouraged roadside parking and feeding of wild animals.

Relevant experts pointed out that the natural ecosystem is a complex food chain. The birth, aging, illness and death of animals, and the survival of the fittest are natural laws. Animals have their own laws of survival. Therefore, in addition to eliminating the impact of some human activities on animals, when encountering wild animals, the best option for people is to "not disturb" them.

Source: CCTV News WeChat Official Account (ID: cctvnewscenter)

Producer/Li Zhe Editor-in-chief/Misha

Editor/Cui Zhaohui

©CCTV News

Stop feeding!