KAMLOOPS — A wolf pack has been spotted in the Lac du Bois Grasslands area northwest of Kamloops, a rare discovery so close to people.
Provincial WildSafeBC coordinator, Frank Ritcey first noticed a wolf in the area about six weeks ago, later he set up cameras to capture some images of the wild animals.
Ritcey says the pack likely moved in to hunt deer in the area and they are not necessarily here to stay.
“Wolves travel around a lot,” Ritcey said. “This was just one of those circumstances where they moved into an area at the same time there were people around to actually see them there. I do a lot of hiking in the hills behind there and periodically I would see wolf sign, but this is the first time I’ve seen it so fresh and been actually able to capture them on the trail cams.”
Ritcey estimates the presence of about eight wolves. While it is an exciting discovery, he says it’s a reminder to be cautious when exploring the outdoors.
“It’s … really important that people remember that when you’re out hiking in the wilds like that is, especially if you have a dog, keep the dog on a leash, because the wolves will attack a dog and kill it and eat it,” Ritcey said. “That’s the biggest concern with wolves. There have been very few wolf attacks on humans so we don’t have to worry so much as we do have to worry about our pets.”
