杨长生与狼的故事始于1998年，他在哈萨克族牧民朋友家见到了被囚禁的狼，决定将其救出。自此，他开始了与狼共度时光的生活。经过十多年的努力，杨长生现在是新疆昌吉州吉木萨尔县车师古道“野狼谷”的主人，在这里养育着150多只野狼。

71岁高龄的杨长生仍然精力充沛，与群狼朝夕相伴。他解释说，当 wolves show affection, they will nuzzle their faces against you and crawl all over you, indicating a close and friendly bond. Though many might view this as madness, Yang is undeterred. He has been bitten by the wolves before but trusts them completely.

The cost of feeding such a large wolf population is substantial. Each wolf consumes 1 kilogram of meat daily, with additional supplements required. The annual food bill for the wolves comes to nearly 100 million yuan, excluding occasional improvements to their diet, medical care, hiring caretakers, and maintaining the wolf enclosures.

Yang's business in transportation logistics has enabled him to support his unique lifestyle without much financial burden. Despite being an elderly man living among wild animals that are often considered dangerous, Yang finds joy in his work as "Wolf King."