Death could be rare wolf attack
INVESTIGATION: Officials are investigating whether a Canadian man was killed by wolves that he may have been feeding.
BY JOHN MYERS
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Scientists and wildlife officials are investigating what appears to be the first documented case of healthy wolves killing a human in North America.
The attack took place in November at Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan.
The body of 22-year-old Kenton Joel Carnegie was found Nov. 8. Officials say the Oshawa, Ontario, man appeared to have been attacked by four wolves that had been eating garbage in the area for some time and likely had lost their fear of people.
There’s some indication that Carnegie and others had been interacting with the wolves at close range, possibly feeding the animals, said Paul Paquet, a Canadian wolf expert conducting the investigation into the attack.
The fact the wolves were being fed in a developed area makes it less noteworthy than if the attack had been by truly wild wolves, experts said.
Carnegie was a geology student who was in the area as part of his studies. The former wilderness area is a hotbed for uranium mining, as well as gold and diamond exploration.
At least two wolves suspected in the attack have been shot, and an examination by Paquet found cloth, hair and flesh in the large intestine that resembled human remains. A final report on the attack is expected by mid-January, Paquet said.
“There’s an indication the wolves were eating at garbage dumps as well as being fed by people directly,” Paquet said Friday.
It’s not unheard of for wolves to attack people, but the animals usually are fought off or run away when they realize they’ve attacked a person. Researchers had been unable to find a case where a person died from a wolf attack.
Minnesota has about 2,500 wolves in the northern half of the state. The northern third of the state has some of the highest wolf densities in the world, partly because wolves thrive on the abundant deer, which are easier to kill than moose, their primary food in most areas. Wisconsin and Michigan each have about 250 wolves.
Wolves occasionally are seen in developed areas in the Northland, even within Duluth city limits, but usually flee if people are near.
The animals remain fully protected in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, although federal trappers kill dozens of wolves each year in Minnesota near where livestock have been attacked.
Walter Medwed, executive director of the Ely-based International Wolf Center, said the attack shows the need for people to keep their distance from all wild animals.
“We have more wolves now, and we have more people moving into wolf range, into the woods, so there’s going to be more interaction,” Medwed said. “The lesson here is to not interact with any wild animals, bears, wolves, coyotes, even raccoons. Give them their space and leave them alone, and they will usually leave us alone.”
Medwed and others are concerned that some people will use the Saskatchewan attack as a reason to relax wolf protections or to illegally shoot or trap wolves.
“If people just read the headline and don’t see the real story, don’t see the wolves involved were habituated to humans and used to eating garbage, I’m afraid they might use this as an excuse to villain-ize wolves,” Medwed said. “The reality of anyone being hurt by wolves is infinitesimal.”