MY FRIEND THE WOLF
Few people would choose a wolf as a companion or expect devotion from it, but Paul Balenovic, from Zagreb
in Croatia, is an exception. He had always been (70) ………………………. of animals, and one day he bought a
young wolf cub in a town in the mountains, which he called Lik. Wolves have been hunted almost to extinction in
Europe, not (71) ………………………. much (72) ………………………. of their reputation in folk tales as for the
practical reasons of protecting livestock, but in a (73) ………………………. parts of the continent, (74)
………………………. as Croatia, they still survive.
As Lik (75) ………………………. up, Balenovic often took him to the forest. He was fully (76)
………………………. of the dangers of keeping such a powerful creature in a city like Zagreb but afraid to (77)
………………………. the animal free while it was unprepared for a life in the wild. He decided to (78)
………………………. for a female wolf that would become Lik’s mate, and one night caught one in the forest. His
plan was to let them breed together, and then release them and their cubs in the forest.
In due course, the plan was (79) ………………………. out but when he returned to the forest to see (80)
………………………. they were getting (81) ………………………., it was clear that Lik was unhappy. Balenovic
realized he would have to take him back to the city; otherwise, Lik would search for him and might approach other
human beings, (82) ………………………. could end in disaster.
Balenovic took Lik back to the forest at regular intervals to see his (83) ………………………. and the cubs
but Lik always returned with him. He died at the (84) ………………………. of 17, still at the side of his human
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