The Sunshine Coast Trails Society has been asking members to report wolf sightings after hikers encountered a group of three wolves around Lone Owl Lake on Suncoaster Trail which followed them back to their cars.
An email circulated Aug. 21 asks for information on behalf of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNRO) recreation officer Alistair McCrone.
McCrone confirmed to Coast Reporter that he is interested in tracking information about encounters with wolves, as well as cougars and bears on local trails. He also noted that wolves are typically shy and people are lucky to get to see them.
Sgt. Dean Miller of the Conservation Officer Service said wolves are present on the Sunshine Coast, but it’s rare to see them. “They’re highly transitory, so sometimes we’ll get them coming very close or into the community, then for long periods of time we don’t see or hear about them,” Miller said. “They’ll come in as hunters, feed on the local prey population and when they exhaust it, they move on… They are a curious animal, and they have been known to follow people.”
Miller recommends people report sightings through the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277.
Wildsafe BC lists 12 reports of wolf sightings on the Sunshine Coast between Jan. 1 and Oct. 28, 2016. This year’s statistics haven’t been released.
