"Vulgar bullying from various 'animal lovers'" Researcher at AUTH posts after puppy living with wolves dies

Theodore Kominos, a doctoral student in Zoology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, has announced a halt to updates on his social media page, which documented a rare case of a puppy coexisting with a wolf pack in Central Macedonia. Kominos cited intense backlash and what he described as "vulgar bullying" from animal rights activists as the reason for suspending his research updates.

Kominos expressed his frustration that the public outcry focused solely on the puppy's fate, while ignoring the disappearance of wolf pups from the same pack. He stated that the page, "Golden Jackal Canis aureus and Wolf Canis lupus – in Greece," would cease new updates. He is also considering permanently closing the page due to the hostile reactions.

The researcher detailed the puppy's integration into the wolf pack, noting that the wolves cared for it, showed it water sources, and helped it find food. Kominos had been observing the pack for research purposes and discovered the puppy had been adopted by the wolves about 40 days prior. He reported the puppy was healthy and active just six days before its death.

However, the puppy became ill three days before its death, exhibiting severe discomfort, diarrhea, and lethargy. Kominos suggested potential causes including a serious gastrointestinal issue, parasitic infection, bacterial contamination, spoiled food, or stress from adapting to the wild. Without further examination, the exact cause remains unknown. The puppy was isolated and later found dead in the same location.

Following the controversy, all videos and posts related to the puppy's coexistence with the wolves and its subsequent death have been removed from the page. Kominos indicated that a decision on the page's future would be communicated soon.

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After the vulgar bullying we received from the various "animal lovers" about why we didn't save the puppy, without any mention of the lost wolf pups! We have taken down the post and will suspend any new updates regarding our research from now on. We will inform you soon whether we will keep the page open or close it completely.