What saddens me deeply is, the fact that there has not been a documented attack by a healthy wolf on a human being in the wild.......till this. Since 1983..I have been working with wolves and wolfdogs. My interaction with wolves in captivity included actually going in the enclosure with them after months of making friends and earning trust by them. It always stayed in my mind that these animals could never be released now that they do not fear humans....... this is a sad occurrance and a kickback to the gray wolf, the one mammal who's social structure is closer to humans than any other....... I hope to use this story as an educational tool when I am dealing with wolfdog breeders and their quest to raise the content of their animals by introducing more wolf in them........
Four Wolves Suspected in Man’s Death in Remote Area of Canada
By Jess Edberg, Information Specialist -- International Wolf Center, 12/12/2005
An apparent wolf attack has been determined as the cause of death for 22-year-old Kenton Joel Carnegie, whose body was found on Tuesday, November 8, at Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, about 450 kilometers northeast of La Ronge.
The main theory in this case is that Carnegie was attacked by a pack of four wolves seen in the area for some time that were showing signs of losing their natural fear of humans (an indication of habituation to humans), according to Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) wolf biologist Tim Trottier, who is investigating the case. There is also evidence that Carnegie and others had recently been interacting with the wolves at close range.
Canadian wolf biologist Dr. Paul Paquet has also been investigating the incident and says that evidence points to approximately four wolves, based on blood and tracks present in the area. Investigating conservation officers, given permission to kill any wolves suspected in the incident, have killed two wolves from the area. Dr. Paquet’s examination of the animals showed cloth, hair and flesh in the large intestine that resembled human remains and are being tested for human origin.
Paquet said that the wolves suspected of attacking Carnegie probably had prior human contact and that the attack was likely spurred by the animals’ interest in discarded food or garbage.
“I suspect that ultimately we will find that these are garbage-habituated wolves that are either being inadvertently fed or intentionally fed in the area,” he said. “That is the common thread to most wolf attacks that I’ve investigated.”
If wolves are proven to have killed Carnegie, it will be the first documented case of healthy, wild wolves killing a human in North America.
Does this mean that all wolves should be considered a serious threat to humans living in or visiting wolf country? Not necessarily. Wolves and other wild animals have always been unpredictable. Bears, mountain lions, bison, moose and even domestic pets have been known to present a serious threat to people under certain circumstances. The danger may lie more in how we as humans behave in the presence of a wild animal and not the other way around. Tens of millions of human visitor days have been logged in wolf country without wolf attacks.
Like other wild and domestic animals, wolves are responsive to the actions of humans. Humans have a remarkable ability to influence and shape animal behavior, whether that involves a black bear harassing campers for food after being fed by an eager photographer, a raccoon rummaging through your trash can when the lid is not secured, or a chickadee feeding contently at a backyard feeder while you watch through your kitchen window.
Our actions have the potential to cause immediate and sometimes dangerous behavioral changes in wildlife. Wolves are probably no different from a chickadee in how susceptible they are to habituation. By avoiding contact with wildlife or providing negative stimulus in the presence of a bold animal (yelling, banging pots and pans, throwing sticks), also known as aversive conditioning, we may be able to avoid habituating animals to us.
Could this regrettable event have been prevented with appropriate waste disposal and aversive conditioning by those encountering wolves? We cannot know; we can simply be aware of the potential danger of habituating wild animals to us and take action against it in the future.
__________________
Four Wolves Suspected in Man’s Death in Remote Area of Canada
By Jess Edberg, Information Specialist -- International Wolf Center, 12/12/2005
An apparent wolf attack has been determined as the cause of death for 22-year-old Kenton Joel Carnegie, whose body was found on Tuesday, November 8, at Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, about 450 kilometers northeast of La Ronge.
The main theory in this case is that Carnegie was attacked by a pack of four wolves seen in the area for some time that were showing signs of losing their natural fear of humans (an indication of habituation to humans), according to Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) wolf biologist Tim Trottier, who is investigating the case. There is also evidence that Carnegie and others had recently been interacting with the wolves at close range.
Canadian wolf biologist Dr. Paul Paquet has also been investigating the incident and says that evidence points to approximately four wolves, based on blood and tracks present in the area. Investigating conservation officers, given permission to kill any wolves suspected in the incident, have killed two wolves from the area. Dr. Paquet’s examination of the animals showed cloth, hair and flesh in the large intestine that resembled human remains and are being tested for human origin.
Paquet said that the wolves suspected of attacking Carnegie probably had prior human contact and that the attack was likely spurred by the animals’ interest in discarded food or garbage.
“I suspect that ultimately we will find that these are garbage-habituated wolves that are either being inadvertently fed or intentionally fed in the area,” he said. “That is the common thread to most wolf attacks that I’ve investigated.”
If wolves are proven to have killed Carnegie, it will be the first documented case of healthy, wild wolves killing a human in North America.
Does this mean that all wolves should be considered a serious threat to humans living in or visiting wolf country? Not necessarily. Wolves and other wild animals have always been unpredictable. Bears, mountain lions, bison, moose and even domestic pets have been known to present a serious threat to people under certain circumstances. The danger may lie more in how we as humans behave in the presence of a wild animal and not the other way around. Tens of millions of human visitor days have been logged in wolf country without wolf attacks.
Like other wild and domestic animals, wolves are responsive to the actions of humans. Humans have a remarkable ability to influence and shape animal behavior, whether that involves a black bear harassing campers for food after being fed by an eager photographer, a raccoon rummaging through your trash can when the lid is not secured, or a chickadee feeding contently at a backyard feeder while you watch through your kitchen window.
Our actions have the potential to cause immediate and sometimes dangerous behavioral changes in wildlife. Wolves are probably no different from a chickadee in how susceptible they are to habituation. By avoiding contact with wildlife or providing negative stimulus in the presence of a bold animal (yelling, banging pots and pans, throwing sticks), also known as aversive conditioning, we may be able to avoid habituating animals to us.
Could this regrettable event have been prevented with appropriate waste disposal and aversive conditioning by those encountering wolves? We cannot know; we can simply be aware of the potential danger of habituating wild animals to us and take action against it in the future.
__________________
Just means that we got to be more vigilant and not make the same mistakes that caused this - feeding wild animals or allowing them access to garbage . Aweful day for the wolf as this case will be pointed to as proof that they stalk and kill humans. Wolves are going to lose more than humans will in this case... wait 2 or 3 hundred years and see if there are any left 
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