Wolf spotted wandering around Yellowknife over weekend

The N.W.T. Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) says it received multiple calls this past weekend about a wolf spotted in Yellowknife. It also says those calls have stopped since officials scared a wolf away on Sunday afternoon. 

A wolf was reported in the Northlands area as well as around Range Lake North School over the weekend.

Then on Sunday afternoon environment officers responded to sightings of a wolf near Great Slave Lake's Back Bay.

Julian Sabourin, a renewable resource officer with the ECC, says officers used bear bangers and a snowmobile to steer the animal toward forested areas and away from town.

Sabourin believes the wolf that was scared away was the same one spotted by residents earlier on the weekend.

"It did appear to be a younger wolf, so maybe that could kind of explain a little bit of its behaviour. It seems to be maybe curiosity, or exploring different parts of our city," said Sabourin.

Jen Bloss saw the wolf early Sunday morning while driving a friend home. The route took them past Range Lake North School, where she first spotted the animal, near the school's doors.

"I saw it and I was like, 'that's the wolf.' And my friend, she was like, 'are you sure?' And I'm like, 'yeah.' And so we followed it and then it went into the school, up to the school door. And then it came back towards the vehicle," said Bloss.

Bloss said she is a bit concerned about where the wolf might be now, with kids back in school this week.

Sabourin said that officers plan to keep an eye out in the coming days.

"Today the officers were continuing to be proactive, surveying the areas by snowmobile as well as just driving around, patrolling by vehicle in some of the areas that was reported," Sabourin said on Monday.

"So that's kind of the plan for the next couple of days, is just to continue to monitor the situation." 

Sabourin asked anyone who sees a wolf or other wildlife in town to contact the wildlife line at 867-446-2073.