In a quiet rural neighborhood outside of Cedar Ridge, a mother’s quick thinking and courage prevented what could have been a dangerous encounter between her young son and a wild wolf.
It was early evening when eight-year-old Jake Thompson noticed what he thought was a “big, friendly dog” lingering near the family’s porch. According to his mother, Laura Thompson, the boy had been leaving scraps of food outside for stray animals over the past few weeks — a habit she had gently warned him about.
But that evening, something was different.
“I heard him open the door and call, ‘Come here, boy!’” Laura recalled. “When I looked out the kitchen window, I froze. It wasn’t a dog—it was a wolf.”
The animal, thin and gray, stood only a few feet from the porch steps, its yellow eyes fixed on the child and the piece of chicken in his outstretched hand. Without hesitating, Laura shouted for Jake to back away and slammed the screen door between him and the wolf. She grabbed a nearby pan and banged it loudly, startling the animal enough to make it retreat into the woods.
Wildlife officials later confirmed that a small pack of gray wolves had been sighted several miles from the Thompson home earlier that week. While attacks on humans are extremely rare, experts warn that feeding wild animals can make them lose their natural fear of people.
“Laura’s reaction was exactly right,” said Ranger Daniel Perez of the local Wildlife Service. “She kept her child safe and discouraged the wolf from returning. The worst thing people can do is treat wild predators like pets.”
Since the incident, the Thompson family has been more vigilant about food waste and animal safety. Laura says the event left her shaken but grateful.
“I still get chills thinking about how close that wolf was,” she said. “But as a mom, your instincts just take over. You don’t think — you act.”
Authorities have since reminded residents to secure trash bins, avoid leaving pet food outside, and report wildlife sightings promptly.
As for Jake, he’s learned an important lesson — one his mother hopes other families will remember too: not every furry face at the door is a friend.