On fancy dogs . . . and Russian Wolves . . .

On 2/15/2011 12:56 PM, mweiss99@comcast.net wrote:
>
>
> Never trust a French Poodle, Scottish Terrier, German Shepherd or, especially, Russian Wolfhounds.

I was reading Pravda recently. I think it pays to keep a good eye on
your opponent's crazy people too. They had an apparently straight-up
article about a car dying in the road about five or six miles outside of
some town in Russia. Well, the Russians--being Russians--bitched and
complained then bundled up and started walking towards the town,
oblivious to the horrible weather.

Along the way they were set upon by a pack of wolves. Russian wolves are
not like North American wolves. The humans broke off tree branches and
went back to back periodically, the wolves evidently making several
hit-and-run type attacks. The humans gave a pretty good account for
themselves but were losing daylight when they stopped to fend off
another attack. Once beaten off, the wolves retreated into the forest
and paced the humans, gathering their strength and waiting for the
humans to reach better ground ahead that would be to the wolves' advantage.

The wolves did manage to bite and scratch several of them. They got one
guy by the pants leg and drug him down. Several of the other wolves
immediately pounced on him, but the other people eventually beat them
away from him. Now there was fresh blood in the air.

Long story short, the humans--the article seemed to imply they were all
men--made it into town and were treated at some local clinic for their
wounds. No one seemed surprised at their story, in fact several locals
told them of having to shoot wolves while driving or out tending to
whatever business they had outside on the outskirts of the town.
Everyone, the people from the car, the townfolk, even the reporter who
wrote the article just seemingly shrugged about the affair, only
commenting that it was good the car was crammed full of men. A lone
driver would have simply been overwhelmed and eaten. Two or three would
have been overwhelmed and eaten. They had strength in numbers. Also, the
Russians--still being Russians--knew this was no freak occurrence.
Wolves are taken VERY seriously in the Russian Federation.

Someone once sent me a film from a Russian street security camera. I
don't know if it's on YouTube or not, but if it is it's certainly worth
a look. There was no sound, but the story that went along with the film
was this--

A car came barreling into the outskirts of a town at night at a very
high rate of speed. A Russian cop was sitting behind a sign or some
brush (whatever) and hit his lights and began pursuit. They both stopped
directly under two street lights which were illumination for the camera.
It was at this point the film began. It was very obviously wintertime
and the roads were covered with ice and snow. The cop walked to the
driver's side door, expecting to find a drunk, but (according to the
English-language narrative of the film) the driver said he had been
pursued for miles by a wolf pack. The roads were so treacherous he could
only drive 20-30 MPH and they stayed right with him. It was only when he
got to the outskirts of the town that he hit plowed roads and could pick
up speed. He pleaded with the officer that he would take the ticket, but
for God's sake to get back in his patrol car or at least get inside the
speeder's car.

The Russian cop still thought the guy was drunk and making up the story.
He put his hand on the driver's door, as if he was going to order the
man out of the car, when out of the darkness, in view of the camera,
there came a huge pack of wolves running towards them at top speed right
down both lanes of the road. The cop took one very brief glance at them,
then opened the back door of the speeder's car and jumped in.

The wolfpack was the largest I'd ever seen on film. Perhaps as many as
forty. Big damn things, too. You could see the reflection in their eyes
as they ran towards the lights and the cars. Both men looked as if they
remained dead silent, but only after the driver rolled up his window and
the cop smashed down his door lock. He appeared to be fumbling with his
coat, perhaps to unholster his sidearm.

The wolves ran and kept on running, apparently into the town or at least
towards it. They ran along both sides of both cars. The film continued
for about ten seconds after the pack passed the driver and the cop,
still on camera, who sat rock-solid still even after the pack had passed
them.

In Soviet Russia, wolves eat YOU. And they apparently will eat you
regardless of any politcal changes your country might have made.

Kent Ballard