Wild about wolves

In the 1990s, wolves began to recolonize the west coast of Vancouver Island, where Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is located. This was a positive development for the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, whose traditional territories include this area and who consider wolves a sacred animal. However, because wolves had been absent since the 1960s, they returned to a significantly changed environment. Now, wolves are sharing spaces such as beaches and trails with humans more frequently – and, problematically, some humans seek out close interactions with the wolves. These factors have created the conditions for conflict between wolves, humans and other wildlife. Recently, some local wolves have lost their natural wariness of people. Others have learned to associate people with food. Domestic dogs, particularly when off leash, have contributed to the conflict. Dogs tend to attract wolves because wolves can perceive them as prey or as an invading canine from another territory.