Wolf that attacked 6 tests negative for rabies A lone black wolf that attacked six people, including several young children, in a provincial park over the long weekend has tested negative for rabies, the Algoma Health Unit said Wednesday. The remains of the wolf, which has been blamed for several separate attacks Monday at the popular Katherine's Cove beach on Lake Superior, was tested for rabies and other diseases after it was shot by park staff. The wolf had suffered a broken clavicle and tooth when it was shot following the attacks, which may explain its abnormal behaviour, said health unit inspector Bob Frattini. “Wolves work in packs and not individually, and it was probably ostracized,” Mr. Frattini said. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to conduct further testing on the wolf's body to try and find other possible causes for the attacks, which left several families injured and badly shaken....
Farmers vs. the Wolves - Wisconsin The Grey Wolf population continues to grow in Wisconsin. That's good news for the wolves but bad news for farmers where new packs have been forming at the edge of the northern forest and closer to farm areas in Douglas and Bayfield Counties. According to the DNR's Adrian Wydeven, the wolves are killing farm animals. Four farms hit this month alone. That's about the same as last year but last year the DNR had permission to kill problem wolves. This year a federal judge ruled they can't kill any more after an animal rights group claimed it violated the Endangered Species Act. Farmers have to resort to trap and release, flashing lights, noisemakers and other things that will scare off the wolves. Wydeven says it al helps but is not very effective. The Grey Wolf may come off the endangered list in 2007 well before the judge's ruling can be successfully appealed.
Wolf Attacks Trigger DNR Warning for Bear Hunters - Wisconsin During the Bear-Dog Training Season, which was in July and August, 13 of the dogs were killed by wolves. Now DNR wardens are pointing out warning areas, including parts of Sawyer, Rusk, and Taylor counties. "On occasion, bears will enter a rendezvous area where the wolves have pups and frequently, wolves will kill the dogs," said Dave Weitz of the Department of Natural Resources. Wardens say it doesn't seem to make a bit of difference what breed the dog is, and that it's virtually always a bear hunting dog that falls victim to the wolves. A hunter from Durand has seen four dogs lost among his hunting group in a day, and says bear dogs are at risk no matter where they are for the hunt. "Personally, in the next couple years, I think you'll see a human get killed by them," said Corey Delong. "If it was up to me, I'd eliminate the problem by shooting some of them." Right now, a court decision has left Wisconsin wolves in a federally endangered status, so the D.N.R can't control them until they're de-listed, and that's expected to happen late this year or into next....
Wolf kills of hunting dogs up markedly - Wisconsin It's a given that hunting dogs might get hurt in pursuit of a bear. Three hundred pounds of cornered prey is nothing to mess with. But now, Wisconsin's hunt-by-hound tradition is colliding with a recent population growth of another wild animal: wolves. And they are taking a toll. As federally protected pack populations expand in established hunting areas, fatal run-ins between wild wolves and domestic dogs are increasing. In the 1980s, there was one reported wolf attack on a hunting dog. In the '90s, there were 24. This decade, there have been 71. Hunters are getting fed up. "When there was 100 wolves in the state, we didn't have much of a problem with depredation," said David Withers of Bayfield. "Now there's 500 wolves, and they're everywhere, and they're causing problems." This year, the state licensed more than 4,000 people to hunt bears — by baiting or with hounds — during the September to October season. Thirteen wolf attacks have occurred already this year and took place during a two-month summer training period, when dogs can chase bears, but hunters can't shoot....