Rescued wolf companion
A man shared a story this week about rescuing a starving wolf that later became his lifelong companion, with images and updates circulating on social feeds. (x.com) The thread tracked the animal’s recovery and how the relationship developed over time. (x.com)
A rescued wolf named Riggs is circulating again online after a video and photo thread retold how he went from a 48-hour euthanasia deadline in Oklahoma to years of life at a California sanctuary. (apexprotectionproject.org) (youtube.com) Apex Protection Project says Riggs was spotted in a suburban Oklahoma neighborhood in 2016, darted by animal control, and taken to a gassing facility after roaming loose at night. The group said a rescue contact in Oklahoma reached out when he had 48 hours left. (apexprotectionproject.org) (youtube.com) Apex said three team members rented a van and drove 19 hours to pick him up, then drove back without stopping. In the rescue video, the group said Riggs arrived “extremely malnourished and scared” and had little socialization. (youtube.com) The man featured in the widely shared clips is Steve Wastell, who co-founded Apex Protection Project with Paula Ficara in 2015. Apex says the Los Angeles nonprofit rescues captive-born wolves and wolfdogs and has helped rescue more than 400 animals. (apexprotectionproject.org) That detail matters because Riggs was not a wild wolf taken from the wilderness. Apex and later retellings describe him as a captive-born animal who had escaped, then survived by dumpster diving and eating backyard dog food before he was caught. (animalsaroundtheglobe.com) (theepochtimes.com) The bond shown in the newer social posts comes from years of care after that rescue, not from a man taming a wild predator in a single encounter. GeoBeats Animals posted its profile of Steve and Riggs about two years ago, and the video has logged 6.7 million views on YouTube. (youtube.com) Apex says Riggs “found his pack” after arriving in California, with resident animals Taboo, Kona, Loki, and Thor helping him acclimate. The sanctuary presents those wolves and wolfdogs as ambassadors used in education work about the species. (youtube.com) (apexprotectionproject.org) The thread now moving across social feeds appears to be a fresh repost of that older rescue story rather than a new rescue this week. What is new is the circulation: the same account of Riggs’ 2016 pickup and later life is being packaged again through short clips, still photos, and captions about his attachment to Wastell. (youtube.com) (apexprotectionproject.org) The ending is less cinematic than the viral captions suggest and more concrete: Riggs is still listed by Apex as part of its pack, nearly a decade after a rescue drive that started with 48 hours on the clock. (apexprotectionproject.org)
