Boundary County couple deal with wolf attack
Editor’s note: This attack occurred on Friday, March 12 in the village of Chignik Lake, Alaska. According to CNN’s Web site, it is likely that the woman was mauled to death by animals, “most likely wolves.” The cause of her death is yet to be confirmed.
We received this e-mail from our daughter on March 8.
“Please pray, our special Ed teacher, Candice , is missing:
A few hours ago some villagers found a body in the side of the road, apparently killed by wolves.
Candice is the only female unaccounted for and she told the other teacher she was going out for a walk this afternoon. My husband went to the site and the remains fit her description. The troopers can’t make it until morning and won’t let us move the body until then. So, in the midst of a terribly cold blizzard, men are going to stand watch over her body throughout the night.
A few hours later:
The troopers finally gave permission to move the body due to increasing wolf attacks on it, so thankfully no one has to spend the night in the blizzard. The male teachers are helping move her right now. I just hope they are not too traumatized by the event. So far my husband is holding strong, even after seeing it the first time.”
I will spare you many of the details, but I will tell you I was traumatized. Not just for my daughter and her husband, or for Candice’s family. You see, I graduated in Wildlife Resources from Utah State University in 1971. I have a great respect and interest in wolves and thought that this kind of thing just does not happen.
I pulled out my copy of “Wolves and Men” read it anew. Well, maybe it has happened, but nothing in the last few hundred years in North America, or so I thought.
It wasn’t long before a simple Google search for “wolf attacks on humans” lead me to a Wikepedia article, and others, that proved me wrong.
Besides being a graduate in wildlife biology, I have spent several weeks in the remote Alaskan village where the attack took place. Being known for its brown bear population, everyone knows to take proper precautions during bear season. In my daughter’s own words, “we were warned about the bears long before we ever came here three years ago. No one ever even mentioned a danger from wolves.”
Wolf advocates will come back with all kinds of justifications for the incident. I am willing to meet them head on.
I will tell you Candice was not walking with a dog, there were no nearby kills that the pack was protecting and there have been no reports of rabies in the region for many years. She was just walking on a road about a mile and a half from the village. If she had not been found soon after being killed, there would likely be little left of her.
Consider this a warning to my fellow North Idahoans. When walking, camping, hunting, or just enjoying the great outdoors, be aware that the danger from wolves is not just to elk, dear and livestock.
LEE BUTTERS
Boundary County