Shaun Ellis

Shaun Ellis is a wolf behavior expert who conducts research in a unique and sometimes controversial way, by living with wolves and becoming part of their world.  He is a charismatic and inspiring after dinner speaker  on topics including wildlife, the environment and wolf life.

Shaun grew up a rural farming community in the States, with few other children for Shaun to bond with, which created in him the need to look to wildlife for friendship.

He felt at home in the woodland at night and learned to use his sense of smell and hearing to find his way around in the darkness. He bonded with the badgers and foxes, and soon they became relaxed and fearless in his presence.

In later years his determination and perseverance paid dividends when a chance encounter with a Native American biologist at a wolf seminar allowed him to become a volunteer, and he joined a project studying wolves at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. During the day he worked with his fellow students under the guidance of the Nez Perce Native Americans and by night he observed alone.

It was while working here in up to 3 feet of snow that Shaun realised that the best way to learn about wolves was to return to his childhood ways and live alongside them.

Shaun immersed himself in wolf society.   He lived and behaved like them – howling, licking and snarling – even eating and playing like the wolves.  He has lived among captive wolf packs in England and spent seven years on the Nez Perce reservation in Idaho studying wolves.

His studies evolved as he began recording wild wolf howls in the woods, using recording equipment at night in freezing temperatures and snow, and then playing them back the next day.   With patient listening, he learned how to pick out individual pack members through their distinctive sounds.

Through this direct study, he has learned how to communicate with the wolves and defend himself through scent and sounds. He understands scent markings as well as the different howls to defend and call. He believes that wolves are highly intelligent, highly instinctive animals brought up with trust and balance, characteristics that are often misunderstood by humans.

In 2005, three abandoned wolf pups led Shaun to make a daring move, raising a pack of wolves in captivity by living with them...as a wolf, teaching them by example how to survive in the wild.
Shaun founded Wolf Pack Management, a self funding organisation located in North Devon.

Documentaries about his life and work have been broadcast on Channel Five and on the National Geographic channel. Subsequent documentaries have also been made, looking at the fascinating way Shaun lives with the wolves, and even how he has integrated his girlfriend into the pack.

Shaun’s knowledge and desire to dispel the myth of ‘the big bad wolf’ has led him to develop a presentation specifically aimed at the business community. Shaun believes that people learn best by stories that have meaning, not by lectures. In management terms, a wolf pack behaves and acts exactly like a well managed company. There are many similarities in how the two have to adapt and change to circumstances that it is impossible for managers not to learn new ideas, relearn management basics and be motivated to perform better.

Shaun has written two books, The Wolf Talk and Spirit of the Wolf.

The National Geographic documentary A Man Among Wolves presents Shaun’s unique story, that of a man who has given up everything, to take an unorthodox approach to understanding wolves’ every move – living and behaving like them.

He is involved in a number of research projects both in Poland and at Yellowstone National Park, with the goal of developing humane methods to discourage wolves from entering areas of potential conflict with humans.

Speaking Topics

Shaun is a wolf behaviour expert who uses his experiences of living with wolves to motivate and asses’ human behaviour. He is a fascinating and unique keynote speaker.

• Motivation
• Wildlife
• Environment
• Teamwork

Shaun's key messages include:

• The Pack has clearly defined goals, expansion strategies, a hierarchy with specific roles and functions and crisis management solutions.
• Constantly revaluates itself in order to obtain maximum return from the marketplace in which it operates.
• Grows, consolidates or rationalises depending on territory and trading conditions.
• Has clearly defined procedures for internal and external takeovers and change management.
• Trains, motivates, adopts specialist functions, recruits, promotes and disciplines.
• Is more disciplined than most companies in terms of departmental integration, role recognition, reward and even use of older employees.