A recent wolf attack on a donkey north of Qualicum Beach serves as a reminder that humans share Vancouver Island with the fierce carnivores.
Although they're seldom seen, Nanaimo conservation officers say wolves do hunt in the forests around Nanaimo, so people should know what they need to do to avoid conflicts that could endanger humans and wolves alike.
Wolves usually avoid humans, so it was a surprise to some when a donkey was attacked north of Qualicum Beach two weeks ago.
In an urban centre it's easy to forget wolves are a natural part of the Island environment. As human development encroaches upon wilderness areas, it can increase the risk of wildlife conflicts.
"Wolves generally are very elusive. They really don't like to be around people," said Stuart Bates, a conservation officer who works from the Nanaimo office.
When wolves attacked people on Vargas Island, in Pacific Rim National Park, in 2000, they had become accustomed to people.
"When we investigated, people who had been there before had been feeding them," Bates said. "They start to lose their fear of people."
It isn't known why a wolf attacked a donkey near Spider Lake earlier this month.
The wolf reportedly dug under a fence to get into the pen where the donkey was kept. It happened in mid-January. Donkeys are known to be aggressive against wolves, and are sometimes used to control the carnivores. In this case, the wolf attacked from behind.
Reports of two wolf packs have reportedly been heard howling recently between Horne Lake and Spider Lake.
B.C. wolf populations are rising. Wolf culls peaked in the mid-1970s.
Between 150 and 250 wolves live on Vancouver Island. Their range includes the Nanaimo Lakes area and other forests "on the outskirts" of Nanaimo.
In some cases, "we've had incidents with wolves showing no fear, which is a concern for us."
Small pets and livestock should be secured in wolf country, and Bates' best advice during a wolf encounter is to scare it away.
"Everyone wants a picture, but that's the worst thing you can do. You want to scare them off and make them fear people."
And don't ever feed a wolf, "because if you teach them to lose the fear of people, there's only one outcome for that wolf - any wolf that shows it has lost its fear of people will be put down."
