Ned Ludd

Born on April 11, 1995 at Mission: Wolf
Passed away on October 6, 2008

Sex: Male
Lived with Druid, Katimik, Mowgli

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Ned Ludd’s Story

Ned was born at Mission: Wolf on April 11, 1995.  Wolves are not intentionally bred at Mission: Wolf—he was the result of an accidental litter due to a failed vasectomy. Fenris I and Jazmine gave birth to a litter that included Guinness, Porini, Mowgli, Kestrel, and Ned.

Ned was usually shy around visitors, be he adored those who raised him.  He drew many comments for his piercing eyes and his beautiful, tawny brown coloring.  He was what most people envisioned a wolf to look like, with his big head, huge paws, long legs, and thick coat.

Ned was raised by an adult female wolf named “Granny” Raven along with his brother Mowgli and another male pup named Druid.  As the boys matured, Mowgli took over the alpha male position in the pack, while Ned became the beta and Druid became the omega. The four wolves lived in relative harmony for years, impressing visitors with their close-knit family structure. However, when “Granny” Raven passed away in 2000, the boys were thrown into turmoil. Mowgli managed to keep his alpha status, but Druid and Ned weren’t quite as content with their roles.  During the winter of 2003, Druid and Ned ganged up against Mowgli and challenged him for leadership. Had they been in the wild, the boys would have dispersed from the pack and avoided any conflict with Mowgli. But because they were in a fenced enclosure, Druid and Ned were forced to confront Mowgli head-on. They chased the terrified Mowgli into his den and held him there. This meant that Mowgli needed to be separated from the triumphant Druid and Ned.

A previously meek Ned established himself as the alpha of this small pack and kept a wary eye on Mowgli through the fence. The two boys’ lives soon changed again with the introduction of Katimik, a female wolf from the Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center in Montana. While Katimik only lived at Mission: Wolf for a few years before she passed away in 2007, she greatly enriched the lives of both Ned and Druid.

In 2005, Ned was diagnosed with sinus cancer. After minor surgery and many x-rays, most of our veterinarians said that there was nothing else to be done and that Ned wouldn’t last the year. But after a steady routine of homeopathic treatments and specific vitamins, his cancer went into remission.

During his bout with cancer, Druid picked up on Ned’s weakness and challenged him for the alpha spot. After spending nearly twelve years as a close team, Ned and Druid needed to be separated. Ned lived out the rest of his days peacefully at Mission: Wolf, far surpassing his life expectancy.