A wolf attack on a small dog this weekend in Sooke is a reminder to always expect and be prepared to encounter wildlife, says the president of a wildlife education group.
“We’re hoping this is an isolated incident,” Sam Webb, president of Wild Wise Society, said Monday. “Locally, as far as we are aware of, this is the first time a wolf has attacked a dog.”
Conservation officers responded to the wolf attack on the Broom Hill Loop trail near Witter Place and Blanshard roads Saturday afternoon. The officers reported that a man was walking his small terrier off-leash when it ran ahead up the trail and was attacked by a wolf.
The owner managed to scare the wolf away and it dropped the dog, which was rushed to a veterinary clinic. Its current condition is unknown, said the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.
Webb said she had heard that the dog was out of sight of its owner when it was attacked.
“A small dog would resemble any sort of prey — raccoons or rabbits — that a wolf would be eating. The wolf could definitely have wanted food,” she said.
Both Webb and conservation officers are reminding people to keep their dogs on leash when walking in wilderness areas to help avoid conflicts with wildlife.
The number-one way people can prevent negative interactions with wildlife is to keep pets on a leash at all times, said Webb.
“If the owner was in sight and the dog was on a leash, it’s very unlikely it would have ended up the same way,” she said.
On the mainland and northern Vancouver Island, some parks have been closed because there is so much wolf-dog interaction, said Webb.
There are two local wolf packs — one in the Sooke Hills and one in East Sooke. The East Sooke pack has fewer wolves because they were hunted last year, but people have started to hear them calling again, said Webb.
“Locally, they have been co-existing for a number of years, so it’s kind of sad it’s come to this.”
Reaction to the wolf attack in Sooke is split between those who want to protect the wolves and those concerned about their pets, said Webb.
“I think that comes from a lot of misinformation and fear,” she said. “People think you can’t live somewhere where there are large carnivores and have them not get into garbage or attack your livestock or your pets. That’s really not the case. If you think of how many wolves and bears and cougars we have around us, the number of negative interactions are quite minimal.”
But people have to be responsible and manage things that might attract wildlife, she said.
Some are reluctant to report incidents with wildlife because they’re afraid some harm will come to the animals, said Webb. They’re afraid they’ll be hunted or conservation officers will put them down.
“As far as conservation goes, nothing could be further from the truth,” she said.
The Wild Wise Society never reports the exact location of any wildlife sighting, she said.
“For wolves and cougars, we try to keep our information general to keep them safe, so we’re not just publicizing their location for the hunters.”
Note to readers: This story has been corrected. An incorrect name was given for the trail where the attack happened. It is the Broom Hill Loop trail.
