“I took it for a walk every day after work, and it grew very close to me,” Mr Li said. But local residents grew suspicious after hearing a wolf howl close to their homes during the night.

“I never dared to let my child to go out alone at night after we started hearing the wolf,” said one resident.

Police were informed and, after coming out to see the ‘dog’ for themselves, called in an expert from a local wildlife centre. The expert confirmed the pet was definitely a wolf with the obvious characteristics that it never barked and had a thick fur coat and tail. It has now been taken in by Qinling Zoo. A surprised Mr Li commented: “It looks very much like a dog to me. I would never have suspected that it was a wolf.”