aA woman has been left unharmed by a possible wolf attack Tuesday in the Rock Creek subdivision south of Dawson City.

The woman was jogging when, at approximately 3 p.m., she encountered what she described to conservation officers as a 'whitish grey wolf,' Dennis Senger, the spokesperson for the territorial Department of the Environment, said today.

The animal exhibited aggressive behaviour and bit the woman's CD player, he said.

She kicked the animal and hit it with a stick, before trying to get away from it, said Senger. However, the animal followed her until she was picked up by a passing by truck, he added.

'She was shaken by the incident, but unharmed,' said Senger.

Her name was not released.

Russel Oborne, a conservation officer in Dawson, said today it is still unconfirmed if the animal in question is a wolf or a large dog.

It may be a hybrid wolf-dog or a large husky, said Senger.

The jogger, herself, thought the animal was a dog until she got closer and it began to act aggressively, said Oborne.

The attack occurred in a relatively dry area, he added, and officials were unable to find tracks to help confirm what the animal actually is. Until a conservation officer actually sees the animal, they'll be unable to confirm if it is a wolf, he said.

However, the conservation authority is still taking the precautions needed when dealing with an aggressive animal, he added.

The authority did a flight over the area last night but was unable to find the animal. A bear trap has also been set up to try to catch it.

If a wolf is in 'bad shape' or hungry, they will often still go into the trap, said Oborne.

The conversation authority is also suggesting parents keep a special eye on their children and pet owners be watchful of their dogs and cats. People should also consider walking in pairs for the time being, said Oborne.

There have been no further sightings of the animal. There is a possibility that between the encounter with the jogger and the flight over the area's forests, it may have been scared away.

Should the animal not resurface in the next couple of days, it should be safe for the community to continue on with life as usual, he added.

Wolves attacking humans are extremely rare, said Doug Larsen, the department's chief of wildlife management.

Larsen said he's had many 'positive encounters' with wolves over his life. It's normal for wolves to come and look at humans thinking they are prey, he said, but after they spot you, they usually go back into the bush.

'That's normal behaviour for a wolf,' he said. 'They are always checking out for prey. When it's not prey, they leave you alone.'

Larsen said if the sighting was a wolf, it will likely turn out to be a very young or very old animal.

Young animals sometimes get kicked out of their packs, he said and can be confused and looking for new territory. These animals are like puppies, he said, and if they encounter a human, they may nip or follow after a person. This behaviour is playful, he added, but it could be interpreted as an aggressive and serious attack.

Older animals also often get kicked out of their family groups, said Larsen. It's these incidents where it is more common for a wolf to come into a community and be rummaging for food.

Senger said this sighting is being treated as though it's an older wolf in poor condition looking for food.

The aggressive behaviour was likely because the animal was startled, said Oborne. The animal had its back to the jogger and did not appear to hear her coming as she turned a corner, he added. It wasn't until she got significantly closer that it exhibited hostility.

From 1900 to 2002, only 80 wolf attacks have been reported in North America, said Ken Knutson, the department's manager of field operations. Forty-one of the cases occurred in Canada.

Thirty-nine of the attacks were aggressive, 29 non-aggressive and 12 of the cases were wolves suspected to be rabid. None of the incidents resulted in life-threatening injuries and there were no lethal encounters, said Knutson.

Though wolf attacks are very, very uncommon, said Knutson, it's important for people to remember wolves are wild animals that can inflict damage, and individuals need to remain cautious in any encounters that do occur.