Your eyes are not deceiving you. This really did happen in southern Missouri and it sure does look like a black Timberwolf that is following the guy in the kayak. However, in this case everything is not quite as it seems.

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I first saw this shared as a YouTube short a few weeks ago. Watch for yourself and see if you can tell if this isn't really a wolf.

This big beautiful animal is a wolf-hybrid. That's sort of given away by the name of the YouTube channel Wolf Hybrid Dog Trainer. In the comments, he shared that this is really a wolf mix:

Timberwolf 70% Alaskan malamute 30%. Thank you. He’s my best friend.

It's worth noting that wolf hybrids aren't something you should jump into without extensive research. Pets on Mom (interesting website name) says that there are restrictions in Missouri and they're prohibited entirely in Illinois.

The Wolf Sanctuary website warns about buying one of these animals without knowing what you're getting into. That includes this key fact they share:

Wolf dogs require a specialized diet. Unlike dogs, who are omnivores and can successfully digesting a wide range of food options, wolves are primarily carnivores and are less capable of deriving all the necessary nutrients from a commercial pet food diet.

They also mention that wolves are social animals and do not normally thrive if on their own. The guy in the video has obviously done a great job building a good relationship with his wolf/dog. It's just not something for everyone.

All that being said, this wolf hybrid featured in the video is quite the intimidating sight that many would likely mistake for a wild animal.

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