A Houston man hiking through Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley kept walking and kept his composure after a young, collared wolf followed him for about 10 minutes, coming close enough that witnesses said it looked “like his dog.”
Ignazio Zanin, originally from Chile and on the first day of his first visit to the park, said he was “scared, but not super afraid” as the black wolf trotted behind him along the Lamar River Trail. “He didn’t threaten me at any time. But still, it’s a wild animal and a predator,” Zanin told Cowboy State Daily. “It was a wolf. A predator. I didn’t know for certain if it was safe or not.”
The encounter, captured on video through a spotting scope by visitor Deric Smith of Fenton, Missouri, quickly went viral after being shared on X. In the footage, the wolf stays close as Zanin walks through sagebrush. Onlookers can be heard reacting with alarm: “He’s right with him! It’s like it’s his dog! Dude, he’s got to be scared.”
Zanin turned, deployed bear spray without breaking stride, and kept moving. The wolf dropped back about 20 feet. He used the spray a second time as the animal continued to linger. Smith said the wolf “was just on that guy” for 10 to 12 minutes.
Yellowstone officials confirmed Zanin’s account and said the aversive use of bear spray was appropriate. Park staff told him Lamar Valley wolves are unusually habituated to people. Officials said it is not unusual for a sub-adult wolf to show curiosity, and no action was planned against the animal.
Wildlife observers described the wolf’s actions as “escorting”, a territorial behavior in which a predator monitors a potential threat and tries to move it out of its area rather than attack. The wolf showed no growling, snarling, or other clear signs of aggression. Zanin said he took his cues from the animal and stayed aware without making sudden, aggressive movements.
Lamar Valley is one of the best-known wolf-watching areas in the world. Rangers routinely warn visitors to keep their distance, carry bear spray, and never feed or approach wildlife. Habituation from repeated human contact can make young wolves more willing to approach people, which can put both visitors and the animals at risk if the behavior escalates.
Zanin finished his hike. The wolf moved on. The video and his calm response became the latest reminder that in Yellowstone, even a “curious” predator is still a predator.
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