United Press International, one of the worlds major information services, has hopped onto the great wolf debate in Prince Rupert, tallying up the count at 136 wolf sightings in Prince Rupert in less than a year and sharing some interesting details of our current situation with their clients around the world.
In the piece placed in their Quirks section, they recount a story from the CBC about a close encounter between Mayor Herb Pond and a pair of wolves in the city. That might come as a surprise to those critics of the mayor who suggest that he spends too much time out of town, after all if he's running into wolves now, he must be spending a bit more time around the city one would think.
The CBC featured the debate on Daybreak North, with an interview with Conservation Officer Chris Pryce who has been investigating the sudden surge of sightings. (click here to listen)
Considering their sudden interest in municipal politicians, perhaps the wolves are contemplating a run for city council and maybe even for mayor later this year, which of course would end all talk of a municipal wolf cull program we suspect.
Wolf sightings rise in isolated B.C. coastal town
CBC News
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Residents of Prince Rupert, B.C., are getting nervous about the number of wolves turning up around town.
In less than a year, there have been 136 wolf sightings reported by the residents of the isolated coastal community.
The wolves have been spotted at the golf course, in backyards, even prowling around the civic centre, drawn to the city's population of wild deer. There have also been reports they have been stalking small pets.
Mayor Herb Pond told CBC News that his own close encounter with a pair of wolves was unnerving. "When that second wolf sort of popped out from the woods behind me, I thought, oh, I'm glad I'm in my car."
Pond respects the wolves' place in the wild, but he said it is a different story when they start trotting through town.
Earlier this year, the province declared an open hunting season on wolves in some parts of the north to help protect endangered caribou herds. Pond, however, said there are no plans to cull the wolf pack around Prince Rupert.
Conservation Officer Chris Pryce agreed killing the wolves is not the solution because a new pack would soon take their place.
"Wolves are natural to this area. I think what we'd like to see is a reduction in that habituation, so the wolves stay outside of town," Pryce told CBC News.
So far there have been no reports of the wolves attacking humans, but some of the wolves appear to have lost their fear of humans, creating what the mayor calls a challenging situation.
"When wolves come into our backyards, we need to make sure people feel safe," Pond said.
In the piece placed in their Quirks section, they recount a story from the CBC about a close encounter between Mayor Herb Pond and a pair of wolves in the city. That might come as a surprise to those critics of the mayor who suggest that he spends too much time out of town, after all if he's running into wolves now, he must be spending a bit more time around the city one would think.
The CBC featured the debate on Daybreak North, with an interview with Conservation Officer Chris Pryce who has been investigating the sudden surge of sightings. (click here to listen)
Considering their sudden interest in municipal politicians, perhaps the wolves are contemplating a run for city council and maybe even for mayor later this year, which of course would end all talk of a municipal wolf cull program we suspect.
Wolf sightings rise in isolated B.C. coastal town
CBC News
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Residents of Prince Rupert, B.C., are getting nervous about the number of wolves turning up around town.
In less than a year, there have been 136 wolf sightings reported by the residents of the isolated coastal community.
The wolves have been spotted at the golf course, in backyards, even prowling around the civic centre, drawn to the city's population of wild deer. There have also been reports they have been stalking small pets.
Mayor Herb Pond told CBC News that his own close encounter with a pair of wolves was unnerving. "When that second wolf sort of popped out from the woods behind me, I thought, oh, I'm glad I'm in my car."
Pond respects the wolves' place in the wild, but he said it is a different story when they start trotting through town.
Earlier this year, the province declared an open hunting season on wolves in some parts of the north to help protect endangered caribou herds. Pond, however, said there are no plans to cull the wolf pack around Prince Rupert.
Conservation Officer Chris Pryce agreed killing the wolves is not the solution because a new pack would soon take their place.
"Wolves are natural to this area. I think what we'd like to see is a reduction in that habituation, so the wolves stay outside of town," Pryce told CBC News.
So far there have been no reports of the wolves attacking humans, but some of the wolves appear to have lost their fear of humans, creating what the mayor calls a challenging situation.
"When wolves come into our backyards, we need to make sure people feel safe," Pond said.
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