Wolf Myths That Continue To Threaten Wolves

There were once hundreds of thousands of gray wolves in the U.S., but the European settlers persecuted wolves almost to the point of extinction.

Read the full article here.

Some excerpts:

Do Wolves Attack People?

Wolves are not the human-eating predators they’re portrayed to be in movies and books. You’re more likely to be killed by lightening, an ATV accident or in an elevator than you are to be killed by a wolf.⁴

There have been only two human deaths due to wild wolf attacks in North America in the 21st century. One occurred in Canada in 2005 and involved a 22-year-old hiker.

Although no one witnessed the attack, the circumstances suggested a wolf attack was responsible. The other occurred in Alaska in 2010 when a woman out jogging was attacked. Such attacks are extremely rare. In the last 50 years, there have been only about two-dozen non-fatal wolf attacks reported.

Most cases involved wolves that had become habituated to people near campgrounds or garbage dumps.⁵ As reported by National Geographic:⁶

“Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world’s most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.”

The Factors “Necessary” for a Wolf Attack

In nature, wolves tend to have extreme shyness toward humans and generally avoid people. There is perhaps no one better suited to dispel the myth of “the big bad wolf” than wolf expert L. David Mech.

He spent 12 summers living with a pack of wild wolves in the Arctic and said “none has ever made me feel afraid.” He wrote in International Wolf magazine:⁷

“One got into the habit of lying outside my tent like a dog while I slept. Another let me sit among her pups and take notes while she nonchalantly howled only a few feet away.

Others once stuck their heads inside my tent and pulled my sleeping bag out; fortunately I was watching from a distance and was able to get them to drop it by letting out a sharp hoot.”

He, too, explained that most cases of wolf encounters with humans involve areas where wolves have lost their fear of humans and perhaps been rewarded for doing so (such as being fed at a campsite). Mech continued:⁸

“While this combination of circumstances [proximity to humans, lack of fear and opportunity] certainly does not always lead to incidents in which humans are injured, it appears to be a predisposing condition.

Put simply, it is not a sufficient reason for wolf injuries to humans, but it does seem to be a necessary one.Wolves are large carnivores. Like bears, cougars and domestic dogs, they should be regarded as potentially dangerous.

This does not mean that wolves should be viewed with an unhealthy fear or that we must return to the days when wolves were regarded as demons. It only means that we should view wolves with the same healthy respect due any potentially dangerous animal.”

What to Do if You Encounter a Wolf in the Wild

It’s unlikely that you’ll encounter a wild wolf, but if you do stand your ground and make yourself appear as large as possible. Raise your arms over your head, shout and throw stones, and it’s likely the wolf will run away.

Do not run away, as this will make you look like prey. Also avoid getting into a “stare down” with the wolf or turning your back on the animal.

Finally, if you frequent areas with wolves, avoid feeding the animals and don’t leave food behind at campsites. This may draw wolves (and other animals) to the area and encourage them to act more aggressively toward humans.

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2016/04/26/wolf-myths-that-continue..

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