The Alaska Department of Fish and Game sent a wildlife biologist and technician up the Dalton Highway Wednesday to look for a wolf that attacked two people near Mile 37. The two will try to shoot the animal and bring its carcass back for analysis.
It’s very unusual for a wolf to attack a human, so Fish and Game’s Fairbanks office dispatched two staff members to find out more about what caused the animal to attack the stopped motorists Monday, inflicting puncture wounds to their legs.
“Wolf attacks on humans are exceptionally rare. So we’ve got staff up there today, trying to learn what they can,” says Lincoln Parrett, Fish and Game’s Northern Region supervisor.
“Because there were two people bitten, there’s a concern about rabies,” he said. “And so our intention here, if possible, would be to try to answer that question definitively. Which would mean collecting that wolf, if possible.”
It’ll be difficult to find the animal, Parrett says, because it ran off after attacking the two people who’d gotten out of their vehicle while waiting for a pilot car to lead them through some road construction. Another driver in the line of vehicles took a shot at the wolf, but missed. Later, Alaska Wildlife Troopers searched the area, but were unable to locate it.
Parrett thinks the wolf probably does not have rabies, but the only way to find out for sure is to analyze its brain tissue.
“Rabies is not prevalent in the Interior like it is in our northern and western coastal areas,” he said. “So, fairly unlikely. But, obviously, because of the public health concern, it’s something we’d want to investigate.”
Parrett said in an interview Wednesday that it’s even more unlikely that the wolf was stalking people. Most likely, the animal had simply gotten accustomed to being around people – including some who gave it food.
“Of course that’s speculation on our part, right? We don’t know for certain that this wolf was fed,” he said. “It looks very young from the videos that I’ve seen. And it’s certainly not very afraid of people.”
That’s in line with witnesses’ reports about the black wolf’s behavior according to Alaska State Trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel. Here’s what he told Alaska Public Media.
“The wolf would stop at vehicles, kind of look like he was expecting food or some type of handout from the vehicle before proceeding on to the next vehicle,” he said.
A trooper dispatch says the two people who were bitten were not feeding the wolf. McDaniel said the victims continued on south to Fairbanks, where they were treated for their injuries. On Wednesday, he didn’t have any updated information on their condition.
Parrett said it’s unfortunate they were hurt because of someone else’s irresponsible actions. And that the wolf may suffer a worse outcome.
“Whether or not that’s actually what happened here, like people are suggesting, it’s just a really good reminder that it’s the animals and other people that pay the price when we habituate these animals in this way,” he said. “Plus, it’s illegal.”
McDaniel said he’s unaware of citations being issued in that area for feeding wildlife, an offense that can be charged as a Class A misdemeanor, and result in a stiff fine upon conviction.
Fish and Game’s website features information about wolves and advice for people who encounter them in the wild.
Tim Ellis is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
