Wolf stalks woman walking dog; "the wolf barreled down the hill towards us"

Bonnie Rudderham said this wolf stalked and chased her while she was walking her dog

A series of unusual animal sightings near downtown Prince Rupert is prompting some locals to cry wolf. Wolves are common on the wilder fringes of the northern port city, including the golf course and a hiking trail. But now there are several reports of a wolf prowling city streets close to the waterfront and stalking and chasing a woman walking her dog in daylight. Conservation Services Officer Ryan Gordon said a lone wolf is believed to be responsible. "If you have a small child, keep them close by," said Gordon. "Avoid those wooded areas at dawn and dusk. If you have a pet with you, keep it on a leash." None of that advice helped Bonnie Rudderham, who has lived in Prince Rupert for a half century. She was walking her dog along a waterfront walkway last Thursday when she encountered a wolf. "I look back and there's a wolf right on the walkway just staring at us," Rudderham told CBC Radio's Daybreak North. When Rudderham and her dog reached a nearby condominium complex, "a woman came out on her balcony and said, 'Hey, that wolf has been stalking you!'" "It had been lying on its belly, creeping through the grass as we were walking," said Rudderham. "I thought, I better get out of here. I started to run with my dog but the woman on the balcony shouted to stop running. As soon as I stopped, the wolf barreled down the hill towards us." Rudderham says an approaching car eventually scared it away.
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