WOLF ATTACKS ARE RARE. Period.
With the recent wolf attack in Alberta, wolves are in the media- but not in a good light. The attack has only spurred on the belief held by many that wolves are vicious and will look for any excuse to attack you, your child, your dog, your ferret, anything. But officials say that the attack was a rare occurrence (you can read more about this attack below). But just how rare?
Types of Attacks
First of all, let's look at average wolf populations in North America. In the lower 48, where wolves were reintroduced in 1995, there are approximately 5,000 gray wolves. In Alaska, there are between 7,000 and 11,000 wolves. In Canada, there are over 60,000 wolves. How many wolf attacks have there been?
First, we need to break down three different kinds of wolf attacks:
First, we need to break down three different kinds of wolf attacks:
- Provoked: This is when a wolf does not attack out of hunger, but more in defense. Provoked attacks occur most in captivity or around livestock. They also occur around den sites where puppies are being raised, or if a pet dog gets into a fight with a wolf and a human tries to intervene.
- Predatory: These attacks occur when wolves actively attack a human for food. Children or small adults are the most common targets. Predatory attacks occur most often when a wolf is sick (non rabid), old, has teeth problems, or otherwise cannot catch natural prey easily; they also occur most often when someone wanders onto a wolf's territory.
- Rabid: Naturally, this is when a rabid wolf attacks a human. You can get a series of rabies shots after a bite from a rabid wolf- or any animal- that is about 98% effective. Rabid wolves are the most common perpetrators of wild wolf attacks. It isn't common for a wolf to contact rabies. A U.S. rabies surveillance in 2013 reported 5,865 rabid animals. The major breakdown of the afflicted animals were: "1,898 raccoons (32.4%), 1,598 bats (27.2%), 1,447 skunks (24.7%), 344 foxes (5.9%), 247 cats (4.2%), 86 cattle (1.5%), and 89 dogs (1.5%)" (Dyer et. al 2014). There were also three human cases of rabies reported. There were 2 rabid wolves reported in 2013 (that's 0.03%), and they were both captive. The report also included Canada (remember there are 60,000 wolves in Canada compared to the approximately 15,000 in all 50 states) and there were no reported rabid wolves in Canada. Of course, this is just 2013, but it still highlights the rarity of rabid wolves.
- Agressive: This is when a wolf attacks a human for seemingly no reason other than just being aggressive, but not hunting. Often, there is actually a reason but people don't know it; like walking near a den site or too close to a buried carcass.
So How Many?
Please note that in both cases of nonfatal or fatal attacks, I have utmost sympathy for the victims and their families, particularly the fatal attacks. Any statement regarding reasons for the wolves behaving this way or that, or preventions that could have possibly prevented the attack, do not reflect direct blame on the victims.
SUMMARY
PAST 100 YEARS; reintroduction in the lower 48 in 1995
Fatal
United States (lower 48): 1 (pet wolf)
United States (Alaska): 2 (1 predatory, 1 rabid)
Canada: 2 (1 predatory, 1 captive)
Nonfatal
United States (lower 48): 3 (1 brain damaged, 2 captive)
United States (Alaska): 7 (3 predatory, 3 rabid, 1 agressive)
Canada: 15 (10 predatory, 2 agressive, 1 captive, 1 rabid, 1 provoked)
EVER RECORDED. EVER.
Fatal
United States (lower 48): 14
United States (Alaska): 2
Canada: 5
Nonfatal
United States (lower 48): 12
United States (Alaska): 8
Canada: 21 (2 in Arctic Circle)
SUMMARY
PAST 100 YEARS; reintroduction in the lower 48 in 1995
Fatal
United States (lower 48): 1 (pet wolf)
United States (Alaska): 2 (1 predatory, 1 rabid)
Canada: 2 (1 predatory, 1 captive)
Nonfatal
United States (lower 48): 3 (1 brain damaged, 2 captive)
United States (Alaska): 7 (3 predatory, 3 rabid, 1 agressive)
Canada: 15 (10 predatory, 2 agressive, 1 captive, 1 rabid, 1 provoked)
EVER RECORDED. EVER.
Fatal
United States (lower 48): 14
United States (Alaska): 2
Canada: 5
Nonfatal
United States (lower 48): 12
United States (Alaska): 8
Canada: 21 (2 in Arctic Circle)
What does this Mean?
In North America, there have been only 2 fatal wild wolf attacks in the past century.
In the lower 48, there have been 0 fatal wild wolf attacks in the past century.
In North America, there have been only 22 nonfatal wild wolf attacks in the past century. Four were rabid.
In the lower 48, there has been 1 nonfatal wild wolf attack in the past century. It was severely brain damaged.
In North America, there have been only 21 fatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 1 was rabid.
In the lower 48, there have been 14 fatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. One was rabid.
In North America, there have been only 41 nonfatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 4 were rabid.
In the lower 48, there have been 12 nonfatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 1 was rabid.
In the lower 48, there have been 0 fatal wild wolf attacks in the past century.
In North America, there have been only 22 nonfatal wild wolf attacks in the past century. Four were rabid.
In the lower 48, there has been 1 nonfatal wild wolf attack in the past century. It was severely brain damaged.
In North America, there have been only 21 fatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 1 was rabid.
In the lower 48, there have been 14 fatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. One was rabid.
In North America, there have been only 41 nonfatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 4 were rabid.
In the lower 48, there have been 12 nonfatal wild wolf attacks ever recorded. At least 1 was rabid.
It means that, like I said before, wolf attacks are rare.
Still be Cautious
Just because wolf attacks are rare doesn't mean you can do whatever you want around them. They're still wild animals that should receive our respect and distance. Here's some things you can do to prevent wolf attacks. Some may seem obvious, but not following them led to some of the attacks (full list below).
- Don't carry meat with you when you're walking in wolf habitat.
- If a wolf attacks your dog, do not try to physically intervene. Scream, wave, or throw something instead.
- Don't sleep outside at night when wolves are around.
- DON'T FEED WILD WOLVES. So many attacks happened because wolves got habituated to people around camps, were fed by them, or even played with them. Feeding wildlife may seem fun, but in the end, it's likely a death ticket for them.
- Don't approach a wild wolf.
- Don't leave pets or small children unsupervised in wolf territory.
- Leash your dogs, especially in the woods.
- Carry an airhorn, bear spray, or something to ward off nearby wolves.
What if you See a wolf?
- Don't panic. You're not likely to be attacked.
- Slowly back away - do NOT turn your back on the wolf.
- If the wolf sees you, scream. Make yourself seem bigger. Blare an airhorn. Do NOT throw rocks or anything else at the wolf- it's more likely to instigate an attack than prevent one.
- If you have a dog, pull it close to you and prevent it from lunging at the wolf. This is why it's important to leash your dog.
If you're actually charged or attacked:
- DO. NOT. RUN. This triggers the wolf's prey instinct even more. Running is about the worst thing you can do. The only time you should ever run toward a charging wolf is when it is charging a child.
- Stand your ground. Often times, wolves and other predators will fake charge you to test you as prey or as a threat. If you have a young child or small pet, pick them up; but do not bend over or turn your back on the wolf to do so. Crouch and pick up.
- Yell. Scream. Make noise. Still, don't throw anything.
- If the wolf lunges or bites, kick, punch, do anything. An adult human especially has a good chance at fighting off a wolf, or even multiple wolves. Remember they're usually only about 100 pounds maximum. Aim for the snout/nose, eyes, ears, or throat.
WOLF ATTACKS in the Lower 48, Alaska, and Canada
This took a very long time to find and make. Sources are listed for most, and if they're not and you want to ask about/question the event, contact me.
Fatal attacks:
United States (lower 48): 13
1893 (Michigan- unknown); 1888 (North Dakota- predatory); 1885 (Michigan- predatory); 1873 (Wisconsin- unknown); 1871 (Minnesota- predatory); 1868 (Kansas- rabid); 1867 (Arkansas- predatory); 1859 (Michigan- unknown); 1856 (Iowa- predatory); 1836 (Pennsylvania- predatory, since victim was carrying meat); 1833 (Colorado- rabid); 1820 (Kentucky- predatory); 1761 (Vermont- predatory)
United States (Alaska): 0
Canada: 3
1780 (unknown)**; 1922 (unknown); 1922 (unknown)
** This story is interesting. A man named Johnathan Pencil, who was a Loyalist to the British, caught his Patriot brother and killed him. Pencil fled in 1780 to Canada when Loyalists were booted. In Ontario, he was attacked by wolves three different times. Natives rescued him two times, but then deemed him wicked and cursed for having killed his brother and said they wouldn't help again. The third attack by the wolves, Pencil didn't survive. The reputability of the story is questionable, but still interesting.
Nonfatal attacks: * indicates that an actual physical attack occurred; only these are used in the summary*
United States (lower 48): 9 (Michigan- 1913;predatory; unharmed); (Minnesota- 1905; unknown; unharmed); (Wisconsin- 1885; provoked, were carrying a corpse at night; unharmed) ; (Colorado- 1881; provoked); (Minnesota- 1869; predatory or aggressive; unharmed); (Maryland- 1861; predatory; unharmed); (Iowa- 1848; predatory); (Missouri-1805; predatory or provoked);(Virginia- 1761; predatory or aggressive)
United States (Alaska): 1 (1900;predatory)
Canada: 6 (2 in the Arctic Circle)
- 2010: Predatory- Candice Berner, 32, who was 4'10'', was out jogging in Chignik Alaska when she was attacked by a pack of wolves and killed. Eight wolves were killed to determine which ones had killed Ms. Berner. All tested negative for rabies. Six of them were in perfectly good health, but two others were emaciated. With DNA samples, one was proven to have been involved in the attack. Alaska Fish and Game, in their report, stated, "In spite of the findings in this report, wolves are no more dangerous than they were prior to this incident, and people should not be unnecessarily fearful. However people should be mindful of the potential harm that wolves and other wild animals are capable of inflicting and always try to maintain a safe distance from wolves and other wild animals they encounter" (2011). Ms. Berner's father stated, "They were just doing what wolves do. Their nature happened to kill my daughter but I don't have any anger towards the wolves". Source.
- 2005: Predatory- Kenton Carnegie, 22, was walking around Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan Canada, alone, despite being told that aggressive wolves had been in the area. The wolves had begun eating garbage near camps due to a scarcity of natural prey. Carnegie regardless continued to the lake where he was attacked by four wolves that had been spotted in the area. Originally thought to be a bear attack, a two year investigation concluded that the perpetrators were wolves. Source. This was the first reported fatal wild wolf attack in North America. EVER. Did others occur, especially in the age before strict records? Probably. But it was still a rare occurrence.
- 1996: Captive- Patricia Wyman, 24, was killed by five captive wolves at the Wolfe Centre in Ontario, Canada where she had been volunteering for only three days. She had told her boyfriend she was concerned about one of the male wolves' aggressive behavior before the attack. Source.
- 1989: Captive- Alyshia Berczyk, 3, of Minnesota, was killed when his father's pet wolf slammed him to the ground. He died of liver damage from the race. Source.
- 1943: Rabid- An Inuit child from Alaska was bitten by a rabid wolf and subsequently died of rabies. Source.
United States (lower 48): 13
1893 (Michigan- unknown); 1888 (North Dakota- predatory); 1885 (Michigan- predatory); 1873 (Wisconsin- unknown); 1871 (Minnesota- predatory); 1868 (Kansas- rabid); 1867 (Arkansas- predatory); 1859 (Michigan- unknown); 1856 (Iowa- predatory); 1836 (Pennsylvania- predatory, since victim was carrying meat); 1833 (Colorado- rabid); 1820 (Kentucky- predatory); 1761 (Vermont- predatory)
United States (Alaska): 0
Canada: 3
1780 (unknown)**; 1922 (unknown); 1922 (unknown)
** This story is interesting. A man named Johnathan Pencil, who was a Loyalist to the British, caught his Patriot brother and killed him. Pencil fled in 1780 to Canada when Loyalists were booted. In Ontario, he was attacked by wolves three different times. Natives rescued him two times, but then deemed him wicked and cursed for having killed his brother and said they wouldn't help again. The third attack by the wolves, Pencil didn't survive. The reputability of the story is questionable, but still interesting.
Nonfatal attacks: * indicates that an actual physical attack occurred; only these are used in the summary*
- *2019: Predatory- Matt Rispoli from New Jersey was camping with family in Alberta, Canada, when he was attacked by a wolf. Another Canadian camper helped fight off the wolf. The wolf was killed and determined to be non rabid, but old, emaciated, and desperate for food. Source.
- *2019: Predatory-A thirty-eight year old woman was walking her dog outside of Ontario, Canada. A black wolf stalked and attacked the dog. She tried to intervene and also got attacked. Source.
- 2018: Agressive-A young woman was approached by a wolf in Winthrop, Washington. She tried using bear spray, but it didn't back away. Other wolves joined. She was not attacked, but she (smartly) climbed 30 feet into a tree and called for help. A helicopter came to rescue her, which scared off the wolf. Source.
- *2017: Captive; Canada
- 2017: possibly predatory- A New Zealand runner was racing in Canada when he was tailed by wolves for two days. He dropped out of the race as a precaution, but was not actually attacked. Source.
- *2016: possibly predatory- A pack of wolves chased multiple skiers in Alberta, Canada, and also killed a dog. Source.
- 2016: possibly predatory- A pack of wolves followed a jogger and his two Labradors in British Columbia, Canada. He hid at a Visitor Center until police sirens drove the wolves away. He was not attacked. Source.
- *2016: possibly predatory; unconfirmed- Andrew Morgan, 26, Wisconsin, was walking through the woods at night when he claims a lone wolf lunged at him. He ran from the wolf (please note: DO NOT RUN FROM A WOLF) and waved a tree branch at the wolf until it went away. Officers couldn't confirm it was actually a wolf. Due to lack of verification, it's not included in the summary counts. Source.
- *2016: Predatory; Canada
- 2015: Predatory; Wisconsin; unconfirmed
- 2015: Rabid; Canada
- 2013: Predatory; Canada
- *2014: Predatory, but injured; Minnesota - A sixteen year old boy was attacked from behind by a wolf that was tested negative for rabies, but was determined to have abnormalities and severe brain damage, likely instigating the attack.
- 2013: Agressive; Canada
- *2013: Agressive (chased a bicyclist); Canada
- *2013: Predatory; Canada
- *2012: Rabid; Alaska
- 2011: Possibly aggressive; Idaho- Okay, this story makes me mildly annoyed. An elk hunter was hunting (alone) and used an elk call to lure one. A wolf trotted into view about ten feet away, also responding to the elk call. She shot it. Obviously, I am not counting this in my summary. Source.
- 2010: Possibly aggressive; Idaho- This also isn't being included in the summary, but it's important because it shows how knowing animal behavior can help an incident. A woman was walking up her driveway when she saw four wolves about 200 yards ahead. They started walking toward her. Frightened, the woman started to run, then remembered you're not supposed to do that, then turned and faced the wolves and walked backwards instead. The wolves vanished. Source.
- *2009: Rabid; Alaska
- *2006: Possibly predatory; Alaska
- *2004: Possibly predatory; Canada
- *2000; Predatory; Canada; the wolves in the campsite had been begging for food since other campers had been feeding and playing with them
- *2000: Predatory; Alaska
- *1996; Predatory; Canada; a family decided to camp outside, sleeping under the stars, when their 11 year old son was attacked by a lone wolf that had been heard in the area
- *1995; Aggressive or Predatory; Canada; a pack of wolves had been recently lured with food by wildlife photographers; though a wolf pulled at her forearm, the victim was unharmed.
- *1987-1988; Predatory; Canada; two wolves in the campsite had received food from camps and were habituated to people before a series of attacks. None were fatal.
- *1985; Provoked; Canada; two biologists were working on a netted caribou when a young wolf charged, trying to get to the caribou, and bit one of the men in the leg
- *1985; Provoked; Captive; California; a two year old stuck his arm in a captive wolf's cage, and the wolf bit it off. The boy's mother was arrested for child endangerment.
- 1976; Possibly predatory; Alaska; a young, underweight female wolf charged a 7 year old boy. He hid in the bushes, and the wolf retreated and was shot by the boy's father.
- *1975; Captive; New Jersey; at a photo opportunity for charity, an infant (????? why would you take a photo with a wolf with your INFANT?) was bitten
- *1979; Aggressive; Alaska; the wolves had been fed, played with, and scavenged on garbage
- *1969; Provoked or predatory; Alaska
- *1945; Rabid; Alaska
- *1943; probably predatory; Alaska; a caribou hunter with a caribou pelt was likely misidentified by the young wolf that attacked him
- *1943;Rabid; Canada
United States (lower 48): 9 (Michigan- 1913;predatory; unharmed); (Minnesota- 1905; unknown; unharmed); (Wisconsin- 1885; provoked, were carrying a corpse at night; unharmed) ; (Colorado- 1881; provoked); (Minnesota- 1869; predatory or aggressive; unharmed); (Maryland- 1861; predatory; unharmed); (Iowa- 1848; predatory); (Missouri-1805; predatory or provoked);(Virginia- 1761; predatory or aggressive)
United States (Alaska): 1 (1900;predatory)
Canada: 6 (2 in the Arctic Circle)
Header photo: Craig Talbot (@craig.talbot.wildlife on Instagram)