A Lifetime Without a Voice

[00:00:00]Today during one of my guided tours, a guest told me something that shocked me to my core.

[00:00:06]He told me he had been part of a South African military unit many years ago when wolves were used for military [music] purposes. According to him, one of the wolves had its vocal chords removed so that it could no longer make a sound.

[00:00:22]The reason? To prevent the wolf from giving away their location.

[00:00:28]Just think about that for a moment.

[00:00:30]If you know wolves, you know they are highly vocal animals.

[00:00:34]Researcher Jeffrey T. [music] Liskeard wolves as having more than 20 different vocal call types.

[00:00:40]Howling helps wolves locate pack members, reunite after separation, strengthen family bonds, warn rival packs, and express emotion.

[00:00:51]A wolf's voice is one of the most important forms of communication.

[00:00:55]It's how they connect, communicate, and maintain relationships within the pack.

[00:01:00]In order to make the wolf useful for human purposes, something fundamental was taken away.

[00:01:07]Its ability to communicate as a wolf.

[00:01:10]Its freedom to be what a wolf was meant to be.

[00:01:14]Now imagine being that wolf, unable to howl, unable to call your family, >> [music] >> unable to express yourself in the way nature intended.

[00:01:24]Silence for life.

[00:01:26]The wolf, according to this account, was used for only 18 months.

[00:01:30]But the consequence is losses [music] for the rest of its life.

[00:01:34]Just think about that. How would that feel? And this is what often stays with me. Wolves continue to face misunderstanding, persecution, and fear around the world. Yet despite [music] everything they endure, they adapt. They keep moving forward with the resilience, with dignity, and with heart.

[00:01:54]Now imagine being that wolf.

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