Wolf attacks boy

[Lee Borgersen]

DNR NEWS - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     Aug. 26, 2013


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Teen sustains non-life-threatening injuries in an apparent wolf bite.

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A 16-year-old boy was injured in an apparent wolf bite early Saturday morning, Aug. 24, near the lakeshore of the West Winnie Campground on Lake Winnibigoshish in north-central Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The boy sustained multiple puncture wounds and a laceration to his head of about 11 centimeters long. The wolf ran into the woods after the boy kicked it.

After receiving local first-aid, the boy was transported to a hospital in Bemidji. The wound required multiple staples to close, but was not life-threatening.

Officers from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, U.S. Forest Service and the DNR collected reports from the boy and the boy's father, as well as others at the camp.

Statements from other campers indicated there were other incidents at the U.S. Forest Service campground where an animal bit through tents, one resulting in the puncturing of an air mattress. Another camper indicated that he witnessed a wolf near his campsite with coloration and markings matching the description of the animal involved in the attack on the boy.

"This is an extremely rare incident and not normal wolf behavior," said Tom Provost, regional manager of the DNR's Enforcement Division. "Because wolf bites or attacks on humans are so rare, they are poorly understood. These rare incidents have usually involved food-habituated wolves and have led to minor injuries, but no fatalities."

Before this incident, a serious injury or fatal attack on a human had never been documented in Minnesota. There have been two wolf attack fatalities in North America in the last decade. One was in northern Canada and another was in Alaska.

Enforcement officers from the U.S. Forest Service, Leech Lake and the DNR briefly located the animal matching the description in the wooded area adjacent to the campground, but were unable to immediately kill it. U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was called for assistance in locating and capturing the wolf.

On early Monday morning, an average-sized male wolf of about 75 pounds, matching the description of the wolf in the attack, was trapped and killed in the campground.

The wolf is being taken to the University of Minnesota veterinary diagnostic lab to be tested for rabies. Also, the lab will collect samples for DNA analyses and complete a thorough medical examination to determine the health of the animal.  

Traps will be left in place for one more night to be sure another wolf is not present in the area. The Forest Service has closed the campground until further notice.

Wolf safety tips
Always be alert in the outdoors. Wild animals biting or attacking humans is a rare occurrence but people should be aware of the possibility and know how to react.  

Animals are attracted to campgrounds due to food/cooking smells.  It is important not to feed wild animals.  

Don't make homes or camps attractive to wild animals:

Keep a clean camp; don't dispose of food by dumping into the campfire.
Don't leave unwashed cooking utensils around your camp.
Don't leave garbage unsecured.
Don't cook food near your tent or sleeping area.
Don't allow pets to freely roam away from your home or camp.
Don't leave pet food or other food attractants out near your home or camp.
Don't bury garbage, pack it out.
In the rare event that you do have an encounter with an aggressive wolf:

Don't run, but act aggressively, stepping toward the wolf and yelling or clapping your hands if it tries to approach.
Do not turn your back toward an aggressive wolf, but continue to stare directly at it. If you are with a companion and more than one wolf is present place yourselves back to back and slowly move away from the wolves.
Retreat slowly while facing the wolf and act aggressively.
Stand your ground if a wolf attacks and fight with any means possible (use sticks, rocks, ski poles, fishing rods or whatever you can find).
Use air horns or other noise makers.
Use bear spray or firearms if necessary.
Climb a tree if necessary, wolves cannot climb trees.

[Lee Borgersen]

  Follow-up on the wolf story ......



Wolf that likely attacked teen had abnormalities
August 27, 2013

 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The wolf that was the likely culprit in an attack on a teenager in northern Minnesota had abnormalities in its jaw that would have made it difficult to capture and kill prey, state officials said.

The 75-pound wolf was captured and killed on Monday morning following the attack early Saturday morning at the West Winnie Campground on the shores of Lake Winnibigoshish.

The animal is being tested for rabies, and officials hope to confirm that it was the wolf that bit the 16-year-old boy, said Tom Provost, regional manager of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' enforcement division. The boy was treated for a cut on his head and puncture wounds on his face.

Provost said that the wolf's jaw was deformed, and it was missing one if its primary canine teeth.

"There is a thought that if it was the offending animal, that it was struggling to feed itself in the normal wolf manner," Provost said. "It would have really struggled with capturing and killing prey."

Such a wolf might also have been rejected by its pack, Provost said. The wolf that was captured was likely an opportunistic feeder -- initial analysis of the wolf's gut showed it had eaten fish that had likely washed up on the lake's shoreline, he said.

"This gentleman was laying right next to the shoreline," Provost said. "We're thinking right now that if this was the offending animal, he was reacting in an opportunistic manner."

The attack was the first documented wolf attack ever in the state, the DNR said. Provost said the attack was unprovoked, but in general DNR officials recommend people secure food that might attract bears, wolves and other wildlife.

"It likely associated the campground with the opportunity to grab a free meal," Provost said.