The

Tyson Kelsall
Culture Editor

“The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus;
hereafter wolf) is a highly
adaptable, intelligent carnivore
that inhabits most of British
Columbia” - Ministry of
Environment, Government of
British Columbia

he face of an elusive wolf plays
to the heart of many people;
it evokes strong emotions. Canis
lupus is as close as you can get
to man’s best friend in the wild;
travelling in packs, they have
intertwined themselves throughout
the landscape of human history. A
wolf can play the role of a predator
in the wild, but its recognizable
image has a crucial role in
reminding humans that there
are things outside the borders of
our sprawling mega-cities and
small towns that we do not yet
control. This has not stopped us
from trying. The government

has sanctioned traps and guns

to hunt them under a grey wolf
management plan; what defines
“attempted control” better than

a management plan? There has
been a coming and going of open
season hunting in certain areas of
British Columbia in order to keep
wolves’ populations leveled. The
BC government itself notes that,
even in the early twentieth century,
wolves were, what they call,
“persecuted.”

The history of the war on wolves
in the Pacific Northwest is a little
more ugly than a single shot to the
back of the canine’s head. Besides
being stigmatized, wolves have
been poisoned,trapped, sterilized,
and shot under the mandate of BC
government programs. Early in
the twentieth century, they nearly
went extinct in southern British
Columbia, according to Timber
Press. There have been proposals
both in BC and its neighbour to the
northwest, Alaska, to shoot them
down from helicopters. This has
led to a division amongst citizens,

with many calling wolf culls
immoral. Shelley Black, co-founder
and operator of Northern Lights
Wildlife Centre in Golden, BC, said
that ever since the European man
settled in the west, the human-wolf
relationship has been a violent one.

However, being followed by a

wolf might give one a different
perspective than having a friend
in the wilderness. Christopher
Wilde (who’s name has been
changed for privacy), a hunter

for over 30 years, tells the story

of his hunting partner who came
across wolves in the woods. His
hunting partner blew into his
bull-moose call whistle. A moose
cow ran through the forest, into
the clearing, whimpering in fear,
looking for the bull moose and the
protection he would bring, unable
to see him, she ran on. The hunter,
who was ducking in the bush, was
not well hidden to the eye of a
wolf. The wolf, perhaps the pack
leader, edged towards him, and
when the hunter looked around he
was flanked by wolves on all sides;

however, as he looked back and
forth the wolves would appear and
then, disappear again. Terrified,

he slowly loaded his bow and
arrow and stayed still. Eventually
one timber wolf charged towards
him and he released the shot. The
pitch-black wolf lay on its side,
motionless, and the rest of the pack
receded into the woods in response
to the hunter’s actions.

On the other side of the predator-
prey dynamic sits the caribou,

a disappearing species related

to deer which migrates with

the weather. The government

has drafted recovery plans for
caribou. Cross-border, non-
governmental organizations,

such as the Yellowstone 2 Yukon
Initiative, have taken note. The
caribou has a long cultural history
in Northern Canada, and its face
has passed through many hands
on the front of the 25-cent piece.
Its cultural importance is widely
shared by many First Nations and
settlers alike. As Chief Adam of the
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation