Wolf attacks dog near landfill
A lone wolf attacked a dog last Friday near the Whitehorse landfill as it was walking with its owners.
A lone wolf attacked a dog last Friday near the Whitehorse landfill as it was walking with its owners.
Conservation officers are advising people in the area to be aware of their surroundings.
“This wolf has become habituated to the presence of people and is exhibiting a lack of fear of people and behaviour that is unacceptable to the safety of people and pets in and around the Whitehorse area,” Environment Yukon said in a statement released late this morning.
The dog’s owners were on bicycles when the wolf bit the pet on the neck.
It then “confronted and approached the party to within five metres” before backing off and following at a distance.
The dog survived, with its leather collar essentially saving its life, said department spokesman Eric Clement.
The exact location of the confrontation was unavailable from the department before press time early this afternoon.
The wolf has been seen frequenting the dump area for the last few weeks, sometimes accompanied by at least one other wolf, according to Environment Yukon.
Residents in the area are advised to keep pets close and stick together if confronted.
It is also recommended that people carry bear spray when walking in the greenbelt areas.
Comments (1)
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s on Aug 19, 2015 at 3:48 pm
I had a dog picked off from behind me on a trail outside of Atlin, while I was skijoring with another loose dog and three dogs on the line. I did manage to scare off the wolf. The dog took off and was found at home later with 5 punctures on her neck and around her tail area. This wolf followed me and the other dogs for approximately 7 km, right back into our yard. Two weeks later it killed one of our dogs 500 feet behind our house.
Just saying this is not unheard of behaviour with wolves, 'habituated' or not. I don't think the one outside Atlin was particularly habituated.