Are the wolves affected by the presence of unknown people?

Diary entry, 21.08.2010, Angelica da Silva - Vasconcellos

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My name is Angélica Vasconcellos and this is the next step in my research: finding out which effect the presence of people which are unfamiliar to the wolves have on them. And I will evaluate this effect by following the walks people make part with the wolves on the leash (Walking with a Wolf). During these walks, one of the wolves’ trainers takes visitors and a wolf on a one hour walk through the game park.
I have already started filming the behaviour of the wolves during these walks and collecting saliva samples from them before and after each walk. I’m taking saliva because, besides analysing the behaviour of the animals, I intend to evaluate their levels of stress through the concentration of cortisol. My project also includes following walks without unfamiliar people, also with filming and saliva collection. I intend to compare the behaviours they perform as well as the changes in cortisol concentrations with and without the presence of unfamiliar people, to finally find out which effect the presence of unfamiliar people have on them. According to what I have seen so far, I don’t think the wolves get stressed with the presence of new people during these walks, but let’s check and evaluate the results to be sure about it!