Matthew Weaver
Capital Press
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — State officials say they are worried that wolves in the Colville Valley of northeastern Washington may be getting too accustomed to humans.
Two or three wolves in the Stranger Pack have shown up near people’s homes, several of which have dogs, said Jay Shepherd, conflict specialist for the Washington State Department of Fish of Wildlife.
Department officials are monitoring the predators, but for now they say there’s no risk to public safety.
Shepherd spoke about the situation to members of the state wolf advisory group during their July 7 meeting in Spokane Valley, Wash.
“The more times wolves come into contact with humans and human-occupied areas with dogs, the more they become accustomed to that being part of their ritual, behavior and home range,” Shepherd said. “That’s starting to occur on the periphery of the Colville Valley.”
The area includes residents who own dogs and ranches, Shepherd said.
The department advises residents to haze the wolves, including clapping at the animal, throwing rocks and possibly installing fences to protect their dogs and other animals.
“The wolves do travel in between populated areas, but they tend to also avoid people,” said Donny Martorello, wolf policy manager for WDFW. “We want them to maintain their fear of people and avoid areas with people.”
Wolves see dogs as other wolves, which can lead to territorial disputes, Martorello said. Pet owners should keep their animals enclosed at night.
Officials are looking for opportunities to help with hazing and considering future steps.
Trent Roussin, a wolf biologist at the department, said GPS data doesn’t show any unusual activity for the area.
“If you see wolves interacting with your dogs, you’re going to want to scare them off whatever non-lethal way you can … unless you fear for your dog’s life,” he said.
Residents are more likely to successfully haze the wolf than department staff, Roussin said.
“They’re going to be the ones who see it,” he said. “The chances of us getting up there at the right time are pretty slim.”
Wolves are not known for aggression towards humans unless severely habituated, Shepherd said. He believes the wolves are near the beginning of that stage.
“It’s definitely a concern — what you want to do is stop it now,” he said.
Don Dashiell, a Stevens County commissioner, said the rural county has a dense population and enough wolves that the animals are likely to be exposed to people.
“Our level of comfort with habituation might be lower than what the game department might want to wait for,” Dashiell said.
County officials want to be aware of potential problems, Dashiell said. He wondered how long the department will allow non-aggressive interactions before stepping in.
“They at least have raised their hand to say, ‘We’ve got a problem,’ they just haven’t quite convinced themselves they’ve got to do something about it yet,” he said.