Deline, N.W.T., on alert for wolves
Caribou herd passing near community has led to wolf sightings
Deline, N.W.T., is on alert as a pack of wolves has been roaming near the community, and at least one has ventured into the hamlet in the past week.
Resident Darren Kenny said he saw a big, black wolf inside the community while he was on his snowmobile.
"I was surprised. A big wolf in town. I got scared when I first saw it — its big eyes just looking at me," he said.
"I had my iPod Touch, I should have taken a picture of it but I didn’t have time."
After the first string of sightings starting around Nov. 30, RCMP Const. Kirk Hughes issued a warning to the community not to walk outside alone.
"There’s been really no recorded cases in the last 100 years of wolves attacking humans but there’s always safety in numbers," he said.
Hughes said the RCMP was working with the community’s bylaw officers, the Environment and Natural Resources officer, and the Hunters and Trappers Association to monitor the wolf situation.
The pack is estimated to number about 20 wolves. Hughes said the one that ventured near the community is a black male wolf about 200 pounds, and the rest were moving on, following a migrating herd of caribou.
The caribou herd is passing only a kilometre from the community.
"We haven’t had them this close in a while," said Leonard Kenny.
Usually hunters need to travel seven or eight hours by snowmobile to hunt caribou, so the proximity of the herd is making for one of the most abundant caribou harvests for Deline in years.
"It’s close to Christmas, too, so a lot of people will be coming home and spending the holidays with their families and we’ll be having a lot of dry meat and caribou meat in the community," he said.
"I’ve been eating caribou meat for the last few days now. You go to everybody’s home, they’re eating caribou. I'm pretty happy myself. And this community they like to share what they have. A lot of people that don't really hunt would get their share."
The RCMP is encouraging community members to tie up their dogs and not to put garbage outside.
Officers also plan to beef up patrols, doing multiple rounds at night keeping a watch out for wolves in hopes of scaring them away.