It’s now official.
A man was attacked, killed and eaten by a pack of wolves in Saskatchewan, Canada. A jury decided Nov. 1 that a 22-year-old Ontario man was killed 2 years ago in a remote mining camp by a pack of wolves.
The jury’s decision makes Kenton Carnegie the first confirmed killed of a human in North America by wolves. The decision has delighted anti-wolf advocates, who have been skeptical of the most powerful claim made environmentalists who pushed to get wolves reintroduced into the Northern Rockies: Wolves don’t kill people.
Now, of course this single incident suggests that wolf attacks on human are rare. More people are killed by dogs, grizzly bears and mountain lions.
But at least one scientist says everything we learned about wolves when they themselves were decimated during the 20th Century might not be true with large, healthy populations in the 21st Century.
Val Geist, one of Canada’s most noted biologists,emeritus professor from the University of Calgary, who had written a paper entered into evidence in the inquest, said he has personally seen a shift in wolf behavior among wolves that live in and among humans that are not hunted. Those near his home on Vancouver Island are more aggressive then those he studied for decades in the wild.
Another Canadian wolf expert Paul Paquet, said during the inquest that Carnegie was likely killed by a bear, but could have been killed by wolves.
The witnesses on the scene thought differently.
They found the engineering student surrounded by a pack of wolves and identified the tracks near the body as wolves.
“Collectively, there is little doubt in my mind that these two exceptionally qualified witnesses correctly identified wolves as the species killing and consuming Kenton Carnegie, but also correctly read the process of events as evidenced by the track and sign patterns in the snow,” Geist wrote.
Wolves and other animals had become habituated eating a large garbage dump left by the mining company and its workers. They and other wild animals had lost their fear of humans.
“I'd put in the same category as ‘O.J. Simpson is innocent,’ ” Paquet, told the Daily News.
No one witnessed the attack. An overnight snow covered much of the tracks and the rarity wolves getting close to people drives his doubts, the Daily News said. The position of the body and the wounds suggested to Paquet that it was a bear that ate him.
Needless to say, environmental groups believe Paquet.
Anti-wolf advocates now have the evidence they have been hoping for to paint the predator as the bloodthirsty threat to children and lone backcountry hikers they have always suggested.
“The story of Kenton Carnegie’s death and the struggle of his parents to find the truth against political bias stands as a precursor to events that may all to soon unfold in Idaho,” said John Runft, the attorney who wrote the anti-wolf initiative that Stanley lodge owner Ron Gillett is circulating.
One thing is certain. Westerners are going to hear the name of Kenton Carnegie a lot in the next few years as the debate over wolves continues.
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No witness.
The dude could've dropped from any number of reasons like heart, injury, food poisoning, etc. and THEN the wolves scavenged his body.
BUT a PACK of wolves, wouldn't surprise me.
THIS is from teh US Fish & Wildlife's site:
there are only a handful of reports where wolves have deliberately attacked or seriously injured a human in North America
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A successful attack becomes a meal for wolves, right?
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Let's send all the wolves to Washington D.C. and then we'll know for sure if they eat people.
Can we say red tape???
People are continually fed the illusion that federal protection of wolves is near it's end and that control will be turned over to the state for management. Can anyone see the writing on the wall with this one??? If it takes 2 years, a court case, and a jury to make it official that a wolf killed this young man, there's just a TOUCH of red tape involved in all that is wolf and Idaho is not going to see management anytime in our near future.
What to do with all the wolves?
I've never found a need in my life for so many wolves. I think they should all be rounded up and given to Michael Vick for safe-keeping.
Where wolves roam??
I think that since it is a proven fact that wolves roamed all over the United States and Canada and Mexico, that they also need to be reintroduced back East where they can do more good. They do not allow very much hunting back there, and the wolves can help the over population of the deer herds there. Then if they run out of deer, they will not be eating our cattle, sheep, and other domestic animals.
WOLVES
You ain't seen nothin' yet! Like I said yesterday about the wolverines, when the drought diminishes the natural game, then the predators are going to go after whatever they can. Since they're not hunted, they have no reason to fear man. As usual, the envirokooks have foisted off more folly on everyone else without knowing what they are doing. If the wolves werem't responsible for this young man's death, just wait. They will be responsible for many before long.
Seriously?
Enough with the KILL THE WOLVES! If you cowboys, I mean hunters, lived in Africa you'd want all the lions killed because they were encroaching on your abilities to spray down with antelope urine, hide for 3 days in a tree, then with a high powered rifle and a scope- snipe your prey. Wolves, bears, heck-even racoons are wild animals and will attack people. Here's a thought- Stay out of their territory. If you hopped your neighbors fence and got attacked by their dog- would you blame the dog? C'mon- Carry a only a knife and go hunt. That's MANLY! Leave the wolves alone. Deer/elk is in their right to kill.Thats what they do.
Sad anti-wolfers
These "anti wolf" people attempt to paint themselves as the great white hunters and outdoorsmen, when in actuality they are a bunch of whiners who want a sterile landscape in which to drive their ORVs and shoot at things. In their minds the entire state should be a giant game reserve.
Giant?
A giant game reserve???
You say that like it's a bad thing...
Sad pro-wolfers
These "pro wolf" people attempt to paint themselves as saviors of something holy and spread stereotypical propaganda about hunting when the fact is, they really have no clue.
What about our native wolves that the "re-introduction" (can't re-introduce a breed of wolf that was never here) took out? What happened to things being natural and allowing our native wolves to come back, as they were doing a fine job of?
Balance doesn't come from allowing a federally protected predator population to grow at an uncontrolled rate, when their food source is a state controlled resource. It's irresponsible.
well, you have a choice
the truth of the matter is that you're either going to have to deal with wolves or cougars. I for one would rather deal with wolves. The numbers speak for themselves where there are healthy populations of either animals. Cougars attack people fairly often and wolves not so much, even black bears are much more likely to attack a human. Look at the areas where cougars are adjacent to suburban or urban areas, there are attacks fairly often. with wolves this is not the case, given, there are not wolves that close to many urban areas that I know of but if you look back there's not many attacks and no deaths other than this one but in the last decade cougars have killed a mess of people in north america. For farmers wolves are a rational issue to get upset about because they do like livestock maybe keeping mules or llamas might help, it is a good control method for dogs and wolves are where the domestic dog came from so they do have some similarities.
I am writing this from MA so I'm sure some people on the anti-wolf side are gonna say that I just don't know or something because I live in the east but I've lived all over the place and I the truth of the matter is that here if I don't have bears or cattle eating all my friggin' apples I have fishers or coyotes eating my ducks. Wildlife is all around us and the best hope we have for keeping any given area safe and keeping it from being barren getting as close to a a pre-columbian environment as possible. Wolves are part of that in most of the US.
Pro-Wolfers don't have a clue
Idaho has been so taken advantage of by the Pro-Wolfers! Idaho has over 1500 wolves that have been seen and counted. How many are there really? Wolves as a rule don't let you see them! I spent 9 days in the Squaw Meadows area north of McCall this summer surronded by Wolves. I found Wolf tracks 100 feet from my horses tied on a picket line! There were three packs around us. One to the south hanging around the Upper Payette Lake area. One to the east driven closer to us by the fires no doubt. One to the north of us preying on some domestic sheep that were grazing in the area. The wolves killed over 60 sheep in one night that we know of. Get Real Wolves are COLD BLOODED KILLERS!!! It is only a matter of time before they grab someones kid right out of a campground. The last night we were in camp the wolves were so close we had to wait until they quit howling to talk! we could not have a conversation they were so close! Let me tell you, a body doesn't sleep so well when that many huge Dogs are so close. The government did pay us to eradicate these Killers once....do you suppose they had a REASON? It's true there still are some of us Cowboys, who are native to this great State, we hunt, we fish, we camp, we ride, and we enjoy the natural beauty of Idaho for real we live it! Most of you pro wolfers don't do any of these things or have a clue about them. Your mostly clueless about wolves and the outdoors in general. Yep we may be cowboys, but we are the Real Realists you guys are a joke!
I'm pro wolf. Yes, I am.
But I'm not going to debase others who disagree that wolves are benign. Instead, I'd like to ask, has anyone ever gone out at night in a big city without a gun or at least some Mace? Would you? Are wolves really so frightful? I'm sorry, but there are other things out there that would attack a person with no hesitation. What about bears? I've also seen video of hunters being gored by enraged white tail deer. And of course, there are other humans who prey on humans. Cold blooded killers, right? There are places in America that are so dangerous to walk around in at night, it makes me laugh when hunters and farmers want the government to step in and kill wolves. I've spent the night in a car in downtown L.A. I wasn't able to sleep with so many sex offenders and potential kidnappers so close. I've also slept outdoors in Idaho, and no not my backyard. I've been deep in the wilds here and I felt SAFER than in downtown Boise. I know this wolf debate won't ever end. I may not have a clue as to what I am saying. So? I think I know a helpless cause when I see it. So would someone with a clue please represent the anti wolf movement, because right now their arguments sound silly to me.
You have to be subtle.
Not all chicks dig wolves.
Losing fear of humans?
How stupid...that's how we bred dogs from wolves.
If I'm a wolf and don't fear you, don't I wanna be you buddy?
So 3rd grade.
The dingo ate my baby
I have grown up around here too, and never been attacked by wildlife. The chance of a wolf attacking a human about a good as any other wildlife in Idaho. A bear attacked a guy in Eastern Idaho last year. That's a confirmed attack. Does that mean we should kill all the bears in Idaho? I have heard of Elk or Deer in rut attacking humans. Should we get rid of them too? Where do we draw the line?
And me boomerang won't come back!
Me boomerang won't come back!
Me shorts are full of gravy and
A dingo ate me baby but
me boomerang won't come back!
I had a chihuahua bite my ankle once.
..
Don't atart an immigration thread in the wolf rant, PJ : )
Retoric
A wolf would never attack a human? What about protecting a den or kill? What about defending their territory from fido? I'm sure a preson in the way would be off limits.
RIP One less poster here...
Told U the wolves were serious.
Some want to know however...
Did they tip?
Did they have local produce and beverages to be green?
More people are killed by dogs
trained by humans to kill other dogs for entertainment. Money, sport, or is it instinct? Don't all dogs originate from the wolf? Wonder how those ulgy little hairless dogs got in the game? Referees for cock fights promoted to Pit Bull?
Humans are killing thousands of people everyday through capital punishment, crime on the streets of America, war in Iraq, alcohol related auto accidents, a pack of wolves may have killed & eaten one guy in where ever wilderness, & it's news? Bone up a, or as Otter would say, cowboy up. See what a wannabe Texas ranger can bring to the table, Gov. Gus would have shot the wolf himself.
The tasty guy was no doubt worried about getting a fine if he shot a wolf, not. Chances of dying on the street in the wrong neighborhood, Nampa, ID, are greater than being killed by a pack of wolves while you're alone in the wilderness. Just as many people are attacked by Boise firemen outside the strip clubs promoted by our politicians through alcohol sales.
Wolves are no doubt more civilized than people but we have words like collateral damage to make our actions sound civilized. If a pack of wolves kill an elk & it isn't eaten, some poor hunter with a weapon of minor destruction is going to miss out on a trophy? People are using one incident as the bar by which to measure the threat of wolves when the lost opportunity of a trophy elk is the truth.
I don't see many people fighting to save the salmon while the same politicians who promote bringing back wolves promote watering a desert, every yard in every development while using all that electricity making dams a necessity. Two of my neighbors have had to drill new wells lately & down the street, the new developments, like the city parks flood the grass to keep it green while washing the fertilizer into the creeks, streams, & rivers. The water table is falling & we're worried about some guy who made the menu & a pretty yard? He probably tasted like chicken or warm monkey brains, no doubt payback, a delicacy in some countries.
I though our representatives just passed some kind of bill to find out why our water is running out. Won't be long & we'll be killing each other over a cool drink of whatever makes a firefighter save your home, unless he ran into you at the local strip club first.
I'm reasonably sure that if wolves & elk alike had the same final decision people do, they send people back to where we came from & somehow manage to live in harmony, balanced nature. People kill each other over money, religion, bad breath, bad hair, politics, or whatever. I wonder where or why Mad Cow Disease & cronic wasting got started. God's way of punishing gays?
Easy, GG...
I had a 10 year old friend named Steven White in 1975 that was murdered in the right neighborhood with the wrong neighbors not hearing or caring. 27-28 years later we all learned it was the teenage boy next door with bigger problems than we dreamed. They found him behind the backstop at the Canyon St. LDS stake center in Nampa with 17 stab wounds to the neck and chest and the ground still bloodstained as we stared and Sal Celeski? interviewed me for Newsbeat 7 as well.
He was in prison for life when this was learned.