Wolf Human Encounters Wolf Reports Attacks By Wolves

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Seven Stages Leading To Predatory Attacks

Ethologist Doctor Valerius Geist of the University of Calgary, Alberta outlined seven hypothetical stages which lead to wolf attacks on humans based on historical and modern accounts.

The first outlined stage is scarcity of wild game, be it due to poaching, habitat loss or seasonal migration.
Wolves begin approaching human habitations, though limit their visits to nocturnal hours. Their presence is usually established by barking matches with local dogs.
After a certain amount of time, wolves begin to frequent human habitations in daylight hours, and observe people and livestock at a distance.
The wolves begin acting bolder by attacking small livestock and pets during daylight, sometimes pursuing their prey up to verandas. At this point the wolves do not focus on humans, but will growl and act threateningly toward them.
The wolves begin attacking large-bodied livestock and may follow riders, as well as mount verandas and look into windows.
People begin to be harassed, usually in a playful manner. The wolves will chase people over short distances and nip at them, though will retreat if confronted.
Wolves begin attacking people in predatory fashions.

Rural Alaska Attacks

According to Nick Andrew, Jr., Tribal Administrator for the Ohogamiut Traditional Council, people in the Southwestern Alaska town of Marshall are very concerned about the likelihood of a widespread rabies outbreak based on the fact that approximately 25 dogs were directly and indirectly affected by the wolf attacks.

"People here are on alert status, parents or guardians are escorting their children to and from school, and all children are ordered to be home before dark for their safety," Andrew stated in a public notice.

Three sled dog yards were attacked by wolves on October 25, 2007. Alex Evan who lives in close proximity to all three kennels began hearing the dogs barking wildly and fighting for their lives at about 7:30 P.M.

Tests performed by the Alaska State Virology Laboratory (ASVL) confirmed a 17 month old female wolf, which was killed by a resident of the village, was positive for rabies virus.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Wildlife Veterinarian Kimberlee Beckmen said it is possible other wolves in the pack have the disease as well.

(Read the full story)

Attacks Near Anchorage Alaska

In 2003, the Anchorage Assembly established a number of areas for off-leash dog activity in Anchorage. The designated areas include University Lake Park, Far North Bicentennial Park, Russian Jack Park, Connors Bog and South Anchorage Sports Park.

While keeping dogs leashed will limit the potential encounters with wolves, Sinnott is still cautious about a pattern he has seen in the recent attacks.

“Our big concern is the proximity to people that the attacks are occurring,” Sinnott said. “Wolves are typically skittish around people, so that is cause for concern. But keeping dogs close when walking trails should prevent deadly encounters.”

The wolf encounters began Nov. 28, when a couple was walking with three dogs along the Alaska Railroad tracks near Eklutna. Sinnott said the dogs chased a large black wolf, which had appeared on the trail 50 yards ahead of the couple. One of the dogs was killed, and the others returned, when called by their owners.

More recently, Dec. 5, a woman was walking with her dog near Artillery Road and the Eagle River gate to Fort Richardson. The dog fell behind during the trek, and the rustling of bushes, followed by the image of a wolf crossing the path served as a sign of the dog's fate.

(Read the full story)

Why Hunt Wolves

Analyzing the history of wolf-human and wolf-livestock conflicts in areas where wolves are hunted as compared to areas where wolves are not hunted, it is easy to conclude that wolves need to be hunted to reinforce their fear of ranching operations and humans so wolves and humans can co-exist in today's world.

History of Attacks

When settlers began colonizing the continent, they noticed that while local wolves were more numerous than in Europe, they were less aggressive.^[11] In Canada, an Ontario newspaper offered a $100 reward for proof of an unprovoked wolf attack on a human. The money was left uncollected.^[3] Though Theodore Roosevelt considered the large timber wolves of north-western Montana and Washington equal to Northern European wolves in size and strength, he noted they were nonetheless much shyer around man.^[12]

In modern times, humans begin to encroach on wolf habitats more contacts are being recorded. Often the contact is because the person is walking their pet dog, and the wolf pack considers the dog a prey item, inciting an attack.^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16] Retired wolf biologist Mark McNay compiled 80 events in Alaska and Canada where wolves closely approached or attacked people, finding 39 cases of aggression by apparently healthy wolves, and 29 cases of fearless behavior by non-aggressive wolves.^[17]

Unlike the grey wolf, the red wolf has not been known to attack people. However, packs of red wolves were reported to scavenge on battlefield corpses during the Mexican-American War.

Lack Of Fear

Skinner was correct. The areas of Asia where wolf attacks occur on humans are the same areas where people have no firearms or other effective means of predator control:

Read "Wolf-Human Encounters" on this page for the full story.

Wolf Attacks On Humans

A Case History of Wolf-Human Encounters In Alaska & Canada

History indicates that wolves living in areas which have not been hunted much are possibly more likely to attack humans, pets, and livestock. Most pro-wolf organizations (including Defenders of Wildlife) and many biologists lead the public to believe that wolves pose little or no threat to the public safety.

However, a wolf attack on a 6 year old boy near Ice Bay, Alaska in April of 2000 prompted debate on previous assumptions concerning wolf behavior toward humans. This debate prompted research of wolf-human encounters in Alaska and Canada. In 2002 the State of Alaska Fish & Game Department released A Case History of Wolf-Human Encounters In Alaska & Canada which documents and discusses 80 cases of wolf human interaction in which wolves showed little or no fear of humans in Alaska and Canada.

This document only contains data from recent years prior to 2002. The document does not contain any of the most recent encounters which have occurred during the last 7 years in Alaska, Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, or the Rocky Mountain States.

The document presents a case history of 80 cases of aggressive behavior by wolves toward humans and even attacks on humans from the 1970's to 2002. In 16 cases, wild non-rabid wolves bit people. In 6 cases the bites were severe. Please read this document in it's entirety. It will enlighten you on the increasing wolf populations in North America and the increasing number of dangerous encounters with wolves.

Wolf Attacks On Humans

A forester employed by the Province of British Colombia was checking some timber for possible harvest in the 1980s. He was met by a small pack of three wolves. The forester yelled at the wolves to frighten them away. Instead, the wolves came towards him in a threatening manner and he was forced to retreat and climb a nearby tree for safety. The wolves remained at the base of the tree. The forester had a portable radio, but was unable to contact his base, due to distance, until evening. When the call for help came in, two Conservation Officers with the Ministry of Environment were flown to the area by floatplane to rescue the treed forester.

When the Conservation Officers arrived, the forester was still in the tree and one wolf, the apparent leader of the pack, was still at the base of the tree. The officers, armed with shotguns, shot at the wolf and missed. The wolf ran for cover and then started circling and howling near the two officers. After a couple missed shots, the wolf was finally shot and killed.

The wolf tested negative for rabies. It appeared healthy in every respect, but was very lean. The Conservation Officers felt the attack was caused by hunger. (Taped Interviews and a photo of the wolf on file at Abundant Wildlife Society of North America.)

This is but one example from British Colombia. Wolves overran Vancouver Island in the 1980s. Attacks became so common that articles were published in Canadian magazines documenting such attacks. (Copies available upon request.)

Wolf Attacks on humans have occurred in national parks, too. In August 1987, a sixteen-year-old girl was bitten by a wild wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. The girl was camping in the park with a youth group and shined a flashlight at the wolf. The wolf reacted to the light by biting the girl on the arm. That bite was not hard and due to the thick sweater and sweatshirt the girl was wearing, she sustained two scratch marks on her arm. The wolf was shot by Natural Resources personnel and tested negative for rabies. (Interview with Ron Tozer, Park Naturalist for Algonquin Provincial Park, 7/25/88.)

Well-known wolf biologist Dr. David Mech took issue with this attack stating it couldn't really be considered an authentic attack since the girl wasn't injured more severely. It was exactly nine years when such an attack would take place.

Algonquin Provincial Park is one of several areas where people are encouraged to "howl" at the wolves in hopes of a response from the wild wolves in the area. In August, 1996, the Delventhal family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were spending a nine-day family vacation in Algonquin and joined a group of Scouts in "howling" at the wolves. They were answered by the howl of a solitary wolf.

That night the Delventhals decided to sleep out under the stars. Young Zachariah was dreaming when he suddenly felt excruciating pain in his face. A lone wolf had bit him in the face and was dragging him from his sleeping bag. Zach screamed and Tracy, Zach's Mother, raced to his side and picked him up, saturating her thermal shirt with blood from Zach's wounds.

The wolf stood menacingly less than a yard away. Tracy yelled at her husband, Thom, who leapt from his sleeping bag and charged the wolf. The wolf retreated and then charged at Tracy and Zach. The charges were repeated. Finally the wolf left. Thom turned a flashlight on 11-year-old Zach and gasped "Oh, my God!" "The boy's face had been ripped open. His nose was crushed. Parts of his mouth and right cheek were torn and dangling. Blood gushed from puncture wounds below his eyes, and the lower part of his right ear was missing." Zach was taken to a hospital in Toronto where a plastic surgeon performed four hours of reconstructive surgery. Zach received more than 80 stitches in his face.

Canadian officials baited the Delventhals' campsite and captured and destroyed a 60-lb wild male wolf. No further attacks have occurred since. (Cook, Kathy; "Night of the Wolf" READER'S DIGEST, July 1997, pp. 114-119.)

Humans have been attacked by wolves in Alaska. The late David Tobuk carried scars on his face from a wolf attack on him as a small child. The incident occurred around the turn of the century in interior Alaska. David was playing in his village near a river. An old wolf came into the village and bit David in the face and started to carry him off. Other Eskimos saw the wolf dragging the child off and started yelling and screaming. The wolf dropped the child and was shot by an old Eskimo trapper who had a gun. (Interview with Frank Tobuk, brother, Bettles, Alaska, December 1988.)

Paul Tritt, an Athabascan Indian, was attacked by a lone wolf while working a trap line. Paul was setting a snare, looked up and saw a wolf lunging at him. He threw his arm up in front of his face and it was bitten severely by the wolf. A struggle ensued. Tritt was able to get to his sled, grab a gun and kill the wolf. Nathaniel Frank, a companion, helped Tritt wash the wound with warm water. Frank took Tritt, via dog sled, to Fort Yukon to see a doctor. The arm healed, but Tritt never regained full use of it. Several years later, the arm developed problems and had to be amputated. (Interview with Paul Tritt, Venetie, Alaska, November, 1988)

Two wolf attacks on humans occurred in 2000.

Icy Bay, Alaska - Six-year-old John Stenglein and a nine-year-old friend were playing outside his family's trailer at a logging camp when a wild wolf came out of the woods towards the boys. The boys ran and the wolf attacked young Stenglein from the back, biting him on the back and buttocks. Adults, hearing the boy's screams, came and chased the wolf away. The wolf returned a few moments later and was shot. According to Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) officials, the wolf was a healthy wild wolf that apparently attacked without provocation. The boy was flown to Yakutat and recieved stitches there for his wounds. Later, however, the bites became infected and the boy had to be hospitalized. (Reports and Interviews on file and available upon request.)

Vargas Island, British Colombia - University student, Scott Langevin, 23, was on a kayak trip with friends. They camped out on a beach and, about 1 AM, Langevin awoke with something pulling on his sleeping bag. He looked out and came face to face with a wild wolf. Langevin yelled at the wolf and it attacked, biting him on the hand. Langevin attempted to force the wolf toward a nearby campfire, but as he turned, the wolf jumped on his back and started biting him on the back of his head. Friends, hearing his yells, came to his aid and scared the wolf away. Fifty (50) stitches were required to close the wound on Langevin's head. British Colombia Ministry of Enviroment officials speculate the reason for the attack was due to the wolves occasionally being fed by humans although there was no evidence that Langevin or any of his party fed these animals. (Reports and Interviews on file and available upon request.)

This is but a brief summary of a few verifiable accounts of attacks on humans by healthy wild wolves in North American History.

Biologists tell us that the wolves of Asia and North America are one and the same species. Wolf attacks are common in many parts of Asia.

The government of India reported more than 100 deaths attributable to wolves in one year during the eighties. (Associated Press, 1985) This author recalls a news report in 1990 in which Iran reported deaths from attacks by wolves.

Rashid Jamsheed, a U.S. trained biologist, was the game director for Iran. He wrote a book entitled "Big Game Animals of Iran (Persia)." In it he made several references to wolf attacks on humans. Jamsheed says that for a millennia people have reported wolves attacking and killing humans. In winter, when starving wolves grow bold, they have been known to enter towns and kill people in daylight on the streets. Apparently, in Iran, there are many cases of wolves running off with small children. There is also a story of a mounted and armed policeman (gendarme) being followed by 3 wolves. In time he had to get off his horse to attend to nature’s call, leaving his rifle in the scabbard. A later reconstruction at the scene of the gnawed bones and wolf tracks indicated that the horse had bolted and left the man defenseless, whereupon he was killed and eaten.

A Russian Linguist, Will Graves, provided our organization with reports of wolves killing Russian people in many areas of that country. Reports indicate some of the wolves were diseased while others appeared healthy. (Reports on file and available upon request.)

Reports have also come from rural China. The official Zinhua News Agency reported that a peasant woman, Wu Jing, snatched her two daughters from the jaws of a wolf and wrestled with the animal until rescuers arrived. Wu slashed at the wolf with a sickle and it dropped one daughter, but grabbed her sister. It was then Wu wrestled with the animal until herdsmen came and drove the beast away. This incident occurred near Shenyang City, about 380 miles northeast of Beijing. (Chronicle Features, 1992)

The question arises: "Why so many attacks in Asia and so few in North America?"

Two factors must be considered:

1. The Philosophy of Conservation - Our forefathers always believed that they had the right and obligation to protect their livelihoods. Considerable distance was necessary between man and wolf for the wolf to survive.

2. Firearms - Inexpensive, efficient weapons gave man the upper hand in the protection of his livelihood and for the taking of wolves.

Milton P. Skinner in his book, “The Yellowstone Nature Book” (published 1924) wrote, "Most of the stories we hear of the ferocity of these animals... come from Europe. There, they are dangerous because they do not fear man, since they are seldom hunted except by the lords of the manor. In America, the wolves are the same kind, but they have found to their bitter cost that practically every man and boy carries a rifle..."

Skinner was correct. The areas of Asia where wolf attacks occur on humans are the same areas where the people have no firearms or other effective means of predator control.

But ... "Biologists claim there are no documented cases of healthy wild wolves attacking humans."

What they really mean is there are no "documented" cases by their criteria which excludes historical accounts. Here's an example.

Rabid wolves were a frightening experience in the early years due to their size and the seriousness of being bit, especially before a vaccine was developed. The bitten subject usually died a slow, miserable death. There are numerous accounts of rabid wolves and their activities. Early Army forts have medical records of rabid wolves coming into the posts and biting several people before being killed. Most of the people bitten died slow, horrible deaths. Additionally, early historical writings relate personal accounts. This author recalls one historical account telling of a man being tied to a tree and left to die because of his violent behavior with rabies after being bitten by a wolf. Such deaths left profound impressions on eyewitnesses of those events.

Dr. David Mech, USFWS wolf biologist, states there are no "documented" cases of rabid wolves below the fifty seventh latitude north (near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory). When asked what "documented" meant, he stated, "The head of the wolf must be removed, sent to a lab for testing and found to be rabid."

Those requirements for documentation negate all historical records!

As with rabid wolves, the biologist can say, "There are no `documented' cases of wild healthy wolves attacking humans." In order to be "documented" these unreasonable criteria must be met:

1. The wolf has to be killed, examined and found to be healthy.

2. It must be proven that the wolf was never kept in captivity in its entire life.

3. There must be eyewitnesses to the attack.

4. The person must die from their wounds (bites are generally not considered attacks according to the biologists).

That is a "documented" attack.

Such criteria make it very difficult to document any historical account of a wolf attack on a human!

Biologists assume when a wolf attacks a human, that there must be something wrong with the wolf. It's either been in captivity or it's sick or whatever. They don't examine the evidence in an unbiased manner or use historical tests.

Historically, there are four reasons for wolf attacks on humans:

1. Disease such as rabies.

2. Extreme hunger.

3. Familiarity/Disposition - This is an either/or situation. Familiarity is the zoo setting, captive wolves, etc. Disposition is a particularly aggressive wolf which may not fear man as most wolves do.

4. In the heat of the chase and kill - This is where a hiker, trapper or whoever disturbs a fresh chase and kill by wolves. The person walks into the scene only to be attacked by the wolves.

It is our belief that a predator's fear of man is both instinctive and learned behavior. For example, wolves raised as pets or in zoos are well documented to attack and kill humans.

Alyshia Berzyck, of Minnesota, was attacked and killed by a wolf on a chain on June 3, 1989. The wolf tore up her kidney, liver and bit a hole through her aorta. One month later, on July 1, 1989, Peter Lemke, 5, lost 12 inches of his intestine and colon and suffered bites to his stomach, neck, legs, arms and back in another wolf attack in Kenyon, Minnesota. (Reports on file and available upon request.)

Zoos carry abundant records of wolf attacks on people, particularly children. The child climbs the enclosure fence to pet the "dog" and is attacked.

Zoos and domestic settings are unnatural in that they place man and wolf in close proximity and they become accustomed to each other. Consequently attacks occur.

Today predator control is very restricted in scope, and as a result, attacks on humans by predators are becoming more common. In recent years, healthy coyotes in Yellowstone Park have attacked humans. Similar attacks have occurred in the National Parks of Canada.

On January 14, 1991, a healthy mountain lion attacked and killed an eighteen-year-old high school senior, Scott Lancaster, in Idaho Springs, Colorado. The boy was jogging on a jogging path within the city limits of the town when the lion attacked and killed him. (Report on file at Abundant Wildlife Society of North America)

Permission granted to disseminate and/or reprint if credit is given to the source.

Kenton Joel Carnegie Wolf Attack

A judicial inquest carried out by the Provincial Government of Saskatchwan (Canada) in 2007 concluded that Kenton Joel Carnegie (born February 11, 1983), a Canadian geological engineering student, was killed by wolves on Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at Points North Landing, Saskatchewan, Canada. The decision, however, was controversial because of the uncertainty surrounding the evidence and the differing interpretations of the evidence by various highly qualified experts. Consequently, the actual cause of death remains the subject of intense debate. In addition, much of the controversy now centres on accusations by the Carnegie family and Dr. Valerius Geist that the official investigation carried out by the Government of Saskatchewan was part of an international cover-up and conspiracy intended to protect the reputation of wolves.

Although there were no eyewitnesses to the attack, there had been several previous incidents in the region of wolves and black bears acting aggressively toward people. The first, official investigation initiated by the Chief Coroner of Saskatchewan was headed by carnivore biologist Dr. Paul Paquet and forensic anthropologist Dr. Ernest Walker, who concluded that Carnegie died as the result of a violent predatory attack, either by wolves (Canis lupus) or an American black bear (Ursus americanus).^[1] Bear expert Dr. Stephen Herrero^[1] came to the same conclusion, although Herrero believed the responsible predator was likely a black bear. An independent investigation by National Geographic Society (NGS), led by animal behaviorist Dr. Jane Packard and forensic anthropologist Dr. Gary Haynes, concurred with the equivocal results of the official investigation. Similarly, bear specialist Wayne McRory concluded that a black bear was the probable predator after reviewing the physical evidence.^[2] Later, private investigations conducted on behalf of the Carnegie family by ethologist Dr. Valerius Geist,^[3] wildlife biologist Dr. Brent Patterson^[4] and wolf biologist Mark McNay^[5] strengthened the case for the wolf theory, although Patterson's findings were equivocal. Among the various investigators, only Paquet and Haynes visited and carried out an onsite assessment of the accident scene.^[6] Despite disagreements between the official investigation and investigations commissioned by the Carnegie family, all parties agreed that the wolves and black bears inhabiting the area were habituated to humans through regular visits to an illegal landfill operated by the owner of Points North Camp, Mark Eikel.

The investigation on Carnegie's death lasted two years, and provoked intense debate on wildlife management and garbage disposal in the area, as well as putting into question the popular notion of healthy wild wolves in North America being relatively harmless to humans.

One of four photographs taken by Chris van Gelder of Todd Svarchopf fending off an aggressive wolf on November 4th 2005, four days before the Kenton Joel Carnegie wolf attack.

Other Reported Wolf Attacks In The Wild

1. Comox Valley, British Colombia, 1986 - While driving a tractor, Jakob Knopp was followed by three wolves to his barn. They didn't leave, but kept snarling and showing their teeth. Knopp ran to his barn, retreived a rifle and had to shoot two of the three wolves before the third left the area.

2. George Williams, a retired sailor heard a commotion in his chicken coup one night. Thinking it was raccoons he took his single shot 22 rifle and headed for the coup. He rounded his fishing boat and trailer when a wolf leaped at him. He instinctively reacted with a snap shot with the rifle and dropped the wolf. A second wolf came at him before he could reload and George swung the rifle and struck the wolf across the head, stunning it. George retreated to the house until morning and found the wolf he had shot, the other was gone.

3. Clarence Lewis was picking berries on a logging road about a mile from Knopp's farm when he faced four wolves. Lewis yelled at them, two left and the other two advanced towards him. He took a branch and took a couple of threatening steps at them. They went into the brush and stayed close to him. Lewis faced the wolves and walked backward for two miles until he reached his car.

4. Don Hamilton, Conservation Officer at Nanaimo went to investigate a livestock killing by wolves. Wolves had killed a number of sheep in a pasture and Don went out to examine the kills. He came upon the scene and saw a large gray wolf feeding on one of the sheep. The wolf looked at him, growled and started running towards him at full speed. The wolf was over 100 yards away and never broke stride as it approached Don. At approximately 15 feet, Don shot the wolf to stop its attack. Don, who has many years experience with wolves, stated that he was convinced that the wolf was going to attack him because of its growling, snarling and aggressive behavior.

5. In 1947, a man was hunting cougar on Vancouver Island and was attacked by a pack of seven wolves. The man backed against a tree and shot the leader of the pack. The pack instantly tore the animal to shreds while the hunter made his escape.

6. Clarence Lindley was reportedly attacked by a 125-pound timber wolf. The incident occurred in early November, 1992 on the Figure 4 Ranch in Dunn County, North Dakota. Lindley was hunting horseback when the wolf attacked Lindley's horse causing it to jump and fall. Lindley was able to grab his saddle gun, a lever action Winchester 94, as the horse fell. The horse recovered its balance and Lindley found himself face to face with a snarling wolf. "My heart was pounding," said Lindley, "I could see those big teeth. He was less than five feet away... He meant business; he wasn't going to back off." Lindley fired his rifle at point blank range and killed the wolf with a shot to the neck. Lindley left the wolf since he couldn't get his horse close to it. On return to his hunting camp, his hunter friends failed to believe the account. They returned to the scene and skinned the wolf. The pelt was a flawless black and gray pelt measuring seven and a half feet from its feet to its snout. Its bottom teeth measured one and a half inches; top teeth - one and a quarter inches. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) confiscated the hide and head of the wolf and took it to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for determination of its species. Tests revealed that the wolf was non-rabid. The wolf was thought to have come from Canada. (Reports on file and available upon request.)

Permission granted to disseminate and/or reprint if credit is given to the source.

ABUNDANT WILDLIFE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA

P. O. Box 2

Beresford, SD 57004

Contact the Wildlife Commission and Legislators: Contact Info

(1) Ask for "Hunting" to be included in the "Washington Wolf Plan" language as the "Eventual Wolf Management Tool".

(2) Ask for the right to protect your pets and livestock from wolves that are in the act of attacking.

(3) Ask for fewer Breeding Pairs to be required for delisting so that management can occur sooner.

(4) Ask what is being done to prevent wolf diseases like Hydatid Disease from infecting pets, animals, and humans.

(5) Ask what is being done to preserve your current lifestyle, your future safety, and your future hunting opportunities.

(6) Ask if all these considerations were addressed in the "Washington Wolf Plan".

(7) Ask for a response to your questions.

Report wolf sightings or send your comments for the Comments page to: info@bearpawoutfitters.com

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