Posted on 11/03/2002 8:06:41 PM PST by Delphinium
Dear Editor: This is a response to a pro wolf advocate stating that there has never been an attack by a "HEALTHY" wolf in North America, July 8,002 15 By Joy York, It has been widely discussed whether a healthy wild wolf has ever attacked a human on this continent. In fact, many say such attacks have never occurred in North America. HISTORY STATES OTHERWISE! It depends on which century you want to research wolves attacking and killing humans,1800's, 1900's or 2000's. Noted naturalist documented wolf attacks on humans. John James Audubon, of whom the Audubon society is named, reported an attack involving two black men traveling through part of Kentucky near the Ohio border in the winter. The two men were carrying axes when they were viciously attacked by a pack of wolves, they managed to kill three wolves. One man was severely wounded and one man was killed, and devoured by the remainder of the wolves, only bones remained the next day. This occurred about 1830 ( Audubon,J.J.. and Bachman,J,: The Quadrupeds of North America.3 volumes. New York, 1851-1854) In northwestern Colorado, an 18-year-old girl was viciously attacked while bringing in milk cows, she screamed and her brother, who was nearby armed with a gun responded to the scene and killed the Wolf. The wolf was a healthy young animal barely full-grown.This occurred in the summer about 1881 ( Grinnell,G.B; The Trail and Campfire- Wolves and Wolf Nature, New York, 1897) In1942,Michael Dusiak, section foreman for the Canadian Pacific Railway, was attacked by a wolf, the wolf was killed by the trains engineer, and a firemen with picks and other tools. It should be noted that this wolf was scanned and inspected by an Investigator Chrichton, a Conservation Officer. His assessment was the animal was young healthy and in good condition. ( " A Record of Timber Wolf Attacking Man"Journal Of Mammology, Vol. 28, No. 3, August 1947) This is some examples from British Columbia. Wolves overran Vancouver Island in the 1980's. Attacks became so common that articles were published in Canadian magazines documenting such attacks. Aug., 1987 a 16-year-old girl was bitten by a wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, she was bitten on the arm, clothing prevented severe lacerations. The wolf was shot by the Natural Resources personnel and tested negative for rabies. Well known wolf biologists Dr. David Mech took issue with this attack stating it could not really be considered an authentic attack since the girl wasn't severely injured. (Interview with Ron Tozer, Park Naturalist for Algonquin Provincial Park, July 25, 1988) It was exactly nine years when such an attack would take place. Algonquin Provincial Park. In August, 1996 eleven-year-old Zack Delventhal was viciously attacked, the boys face had been ripped open, his nose was crushed, parts of his mouth and right cheek were torn. Blood gushed from puncture wounds below his eyes, and the lower part of his right ear was missing and dangling. The wolf was killed by Park authorities and found to be a young healthy adult male wolf ( Cook, Kathy; " Night of the Wolf " Readers Digest, July 1997 p. pp. 114-119) Sports Afield Magazine, December 2000 January 2001 issue, in Alaska a picture of six-year-old John Stenglein, lying in a hospital bed viciously attacked by a healthy male wolf, the wolf it was killed by loggers near his camp. Also this same article reports a 22-year-old man in his sleeping bag on a beach near Vancouver BC he was also viciously attacked by a healthy male wolf, the wolf was killed by Canadian officials. This is only a few examples there are numerous documented wolf attacks in North America. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is fully aware of more documented attacks in North America by wolves, yet they refuse to write a rebuttal to this fictitious statements of wolves not attacking humans, instead it is posted on their children's web-site http://mexicanwolf.fws.gov/Kids/kidfact.htm that wolves don't attack humans! The ( USF&WS) should be held accountable for any attack on humans where they were reintroduced or introduced sub-species (Canadian Gray Wolves). In Northern India since 1996 there has been more than 80 people killed and eaten by wolves, in1998 30 (thirty) of those killed were children between ages of one (1) and twelve (12.) See National Geographic, Man Eaters of India) And the list goes on. It is apparent that some people are only regurgitation what ( USF&WS) and pro wolf advocates are printing in the papers and surely you do not know the true facts. Do the research before opening mouth and inserting foot, Wolves are known as man eaters throughout the world. "Yet in a culture dominated by lawyers that thrive on conflict, with law administered by want to be biologists, with notoriously poor interpersonal skills, and in the end, it's the very animals we most wanted to keep, that are being decimated". John Nelson
Do the right thing.
We can reintroduce them to Martha's Vineyard and Boston Commons too while we are thinking about it.
John James Audubon, of whom the Audubon society is named, reported an attack involving two black men traveling through part of Kentucky near the Ohio border in the winter. The two men were carrying axes when they were viciously attacked by a pack of wolves, they managed to kill three wolves. One man was severely wounded and one man was killed, and devoured by the remainder of the wolves, only bones remained the next day. This occurred about 1830 ( Audubon,J.J.. and Bachman,J,: The Quadrupeds of North America.3 volumes. New York, 1851-1854)
In northwestern Colorado, an 18-year-old girl was viciously attacked while bringing in milk cows, she screamed and her brother, who was nearby armed with a gun responded to the scene and killed the Wolf. The wolf was a healthy young animal barely full-grown.This occurred in the summer about 1881 ( Grinnell,G.B; The Trail and Campfire- Wolves and Wolf Nature, New York, 1897)
In1942,Michael Dusiak, section foreman for the Canadian Pacific Railway, was attacked by a wolf, the wolf was killed by the trains engineer, and a firemen with picks and other tools. It should be noted that this wolf was scanned and inspected by an Investigator Chrichton, a Conservation Officer. His assessment was the animal was young healthy and in good condition. ( " A Record of Timber Wolf Attacking Man"Journal Of Mammology, Vol. 28, No. 3, August 1947) This is some examples from British Columbia.
Wolves overran Vancouver Island in the 1980's. Attacks became so common that articles were published in Canadian magazines documenting such attacks.
Aug., 1987 a 16-year-old girl was bitten by a wolf in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, she was bitten on the arm, clothing prevented severe lacerations. The wolf was shot by the Natural Resources personnel and tested negative for rabies.
Well known wolf biologists Dr. David Mech took issue with this attack stating it could not really be considered an authentic attack since the girl wasn't severely injured. (Interview with Ron Tozer, Park Naturalist for Algonquin Provincial Park, July 25, 1988)
It was exactly nine years when such an attack would take place.
Algonquin Provincial Park. In August, 1996 eleven-year-old Zack Delventhal was viciously attacked, the boys face had been ripped open, his nose was crushed, parts of his mouth and right cheek were torn. Blood gushed from puncture wounds below his eyes, and the lower part of his right ear was missing and dangling. The wolf was killed by Park authorities and found to be a young healthy adult male wolf ( Cook, Kathy; " Night of the Wolf " Readers Digest, July 1997 p. pp. 114-119) Sports Afield Magazine, December 2000 January 2001 issue, in Alaska a picture of six-year-old John Stenglein, lying in a hospital bed viciously attacked by a healthy male wolf, the wolf it was killed by loggers near his camp.
Also this same article reports a 22-year-old man in his sleeping bag on a beach near Vancouver BC he was also viciously attacked by a healthy male wolf, the wolf was killed by Canadian officials.
This is only a few examples there are numerous documented wolf attacks in North America.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is fully aware of more documented attacks in North America by wolves, yet they refuse to write a rebuttal to this fictitious statements of wolves not attacking humans, instead it is posted on their children's web-site http://mexicanwolf.fws.gov/Kids/kidfact.htm that wolves don't attack humans!
The ( USF&WS) should be held accountable for any attack on humans where they were reintroduced or introduced sub-species (Canadian Gray Wolves).
In Northern India since 1996 there has been more than 80 people killed and eaten by wolves, in1998 30 (thirty) of those killed were children between ages of one (1) and twelve (12.) See National Geographic, Man Eaters of India)
And the list goes on. It is apparent that some people are only regurgitating what ( USF&WS) and pro wolf advocates are printing in the papers and surely you do not know the true facts. Do the research before opening mouth and inserting foot.
Wolves are known as man eaters throughout the world.
"Yet in a culture dominated by lawyers that thrive on conflict, with law administered by want to be biologists, with notoriously poor interpersonal skills, and in the end, it's the very animals we most wanted to keep, that are being decimated".
John Nelson
I've only run across one wolf in the wild. A large, but shaggy, mangy looking critter. It stayed about 30 or 40 feet away and just sort of stared at me. I had the distinct feeling that it was considering what I might taste like.
What? The ones on TV aren't real???!!!
Um, I thinks the cruel and known attrocity of lawyers.. er, I mean, wolves is highly overrated. They're so cute and cuddly. And they sound really neat as they howled when I was camping at Yellowstone back in '95...
Pookie & Me
When they are not afraid of man they will treat people as prey. The old russian stories of siberian wolf packs chasing sleighs is no joke. They did.
On the other hand they learn fast. Shoot a few wolves and the packs learn to avoid man. The the older wolves teach the younger wolves. But they are smart - they avoid people with guns, not necessarily people without guns. They have very, very good noses - they can smell the gun oil and even the metal.
As long as we have people shooting wolves occasionally they will remain cautious and the number of wolf attacks on people will be low. But if we act like we are in a Bambi movie, eventually we will have pack attacks on hikers or campers.
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