The Wolf Pack: Wolf cross breeds and their owners make one unconventional family

The Ismaili family, from Skopje in Macedonia, lives with six Czechoslovakian wolf dogs - a cross of a German Shepherd and a Carpathian wolf.

The massive half-breeds are bred to have the temperament, pack mentality and trainability of a German Shepherd and the strength, physical build and stamina of a Carpathian wolf.

Headed by father Fadil, the Ismaili family includes mother Hasije, daughter Blenda, son Burim and six wolves - two older pets and four young cubs.

Maja and Alek - the oldest two wolves - were brought from Milan, Italy, at three months old and their four young cubs - Lupo, Bianca, Luna and Dzoja - were born on 11 May this year.

Each wolf has become a integral part of the tight-knit family and their wolf side has never prevented them from bonding with the Ismailis.

Fadil’s son Burim said: “I can say that it is not a relationship of human and wolf, but it is a relationship between individuals of the same family.

“They are part of our family and we treat them with the fullest respect and love and they do the same. They don’t eat or sleep in with us but they stay near us when we eat.

“The reason that they don’t eat or sleep with us is because we like to keep the house clean.

“Also, sometimes we have visitors and a lot of them don’t want to have them near or they are just afraid.”

Wolves may not be the conventional choice for the title of man’s best friend, but this odd pack has an unbreakable bond.

Burim continued: “Once my sister began to fake cry and Alek, the male, ran to my sister and started to bite my sister a little bit just like he was trying to say ‘oh come on, don’t cry’.

"We laughed a lot that day.”

Photographer Goran Anastasovski captured these intimate portraits of the Ismaili family and their pet wolf dogs in Macedonia.

Goran said: “They are very close with the wolves and love them like children. They take good care of them and make sure they don’t lack anything.

“I had some amazing communication with the wolves.

"When I arrived to the house of the Ismaili family, the owner Fadil had to make sure I got to know the wolves first and see what their reaction was to me.

“To his big surprise they accepted me immediately and the whole time I was there they acted like dogs and were very friendly and close to me.

“Their closeness with the wolves can’t be explained with words. They treat them like kids."

Some wolf tendencies remain in the pack and when the female wolf, Maya, was ready to give birth Fadil got a room ready for her to birth in, but she was having none of it.

Goran added: “The wolf instinct kicked in and the wolf had gone to the yard and started building a three metre long tunnel where the little wolves were born.

“The tunnel was built by the male and the female wolf alternately so the owner wouldn’t notice them. Mr Fadil found out about the tunnel by accident.

“When the female wolf gave birth she came by the owner to let him know and to show him the little ones.”

Even though the pack are half German Shepherd, their wolf blood is clearly prominent, especially when they howl at dusk every day.

The pack lack the natural aggression of wolves, but Fadil is careful to avoid feeding them live flesh in order to quash any potential aggressiveness.