Fri, August 19, 2022
Grey wolves, known by their scientific name Canis lupus, pictured at the Minnesota Zoo in 2022
A wolf missing from a zoo near Vancouver has been found safe and returned to its pack.
One-year-old Tempest, a grey wolf, was found on Friday morning after a three-day search and rescue mission.
Police and zoo staff believe a pack of nine wolves was set free from the Greater Vancouver Zoo by a vandal earlier this week.
One wolf has since been found dead. The remaining wolves were recovered, with Tempest being the last to be located.
Zoo staff said they believe the grey wolves escaped after someone deliberately cut the fence surrounding their enclosure overnight.
Police are now investigating what is believed to be a case of unlawful entry and vandalism.
There were nine wolves and six pups housed at the zoo - located 34 miles outside Vancouver.
A three-year-old wolf named Chia - the second oldest female of the pack - was found dead on the side of the road nearby the zoo on Thursday morning.
The zoo's deputy manager, Menita Prasad, told reporters on Thursday that staff are "heartbroken" over Chia's death.
At the time, Tempest was still missing, and Ms Prasad appealed to the public to help find her.
By Friday morning, Tempest was found near the zoo. Ms Prasad said in a statement that staff are "extremely happy and relieved" the wolf has been found.
Wildlife experts say wolves tend to be wary of humans, but some lose their fear of people if they are continuously exposed to them.
If a wolf is spotted, people are encouraged to stay calm, slowly back away and maintain eye contact. Nearby dogs should also be kept on a leash.
Ms Prasad called the apparent deliberate release of the pack a "senseless act".
"We watched these wolves grow up. We consider the animals at the zoo a part of our family", she said.
The zoo closed its doors to the public since the wolves escaped on Tuesday. It is set to reopen on Saturday.
"The public will now be able to see Tempest re-united with her family." Ms Prasad said.
Greater Vancouver Zoo wolf enclosure was damaged to let animals escape, RCMP say
Ministry says one wolf still unaccounted for, but zoo has not confirmed how many escaped or remain missing
Police say the wolf enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo was damaged by someone who is suspected to have broken in and allowed the animals to escape. The facility remains closed for a second day.
There were nine adult grey wolves and six cubs at the zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., but it has not confirmed how many got loose or remain unaccounted for as conservation workers and zoo staff continue to search.
B.C.'s Environment Ministry said Tuesday that one wolf remains unaccounted for.
The zoo first announced without explanation that it was closed Tuesday morning via its Instagram and Facebook accounts and remained closed Wednesday.
When it announced the escape in a statement Tuesday afternoon, the zoo said it suspected "malicious intent'' and that a "small number'' of wolves were loose.
It said there was no danger to the public. The zoo has been working with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service to "contain'' the animals.
Langley RCMP are investigating what appears to be a case of unlawful entry and vandalism that involved damage to the wolves' enclosure.
"The RCMP is investigating the break and enter and the mischief to the zoo,'' Cpl. Holly Largy said in an interview Wednesday.
"I can just tell you that there was damage done to the enclosure to allow the wolves to exit. At this point, there's no surveillance, so we don't have any information to indicate how they got in or suspect information.''
The ministry said anyone who sees a wolf should keep their distance and report it by calling 1-877-952-7277.
Wolf found dead by roadside, another still missing after 'suspicious' B.C. zoo escape
Thursday
ALDERGROVE — One of the wolves that escaped its enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo this week has been found dead on a roadside, and a second wolf is still missing, the zoo's deputy general manager said Thursday.
© Provided by The Canadian PressWolf found dead by roadside, another missing after B.C. zoo escape
Menita Prasad said both the zoo's perimeter fence and the grey wolf enclosure were deliberately "compromised" early Tuesday, allowing the zoo's nine adult wolves to escape while five cubs stayed inside the enclosure.
All but two of the adults were contained within the zoo's property, she said.
The zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., has been shut for three days as workers and conservation officers searched for the wolves, while Langley RCMP investigate the incident as a suspected case of unlawful entry and vandalism.
The fences had been cut, Prasad said. An earlier statement from the zoo said the escape was "suspicious, and believed to be due to malicious intent."
Searchers were "heartbroken" to find a three-year-old female wolf, Chia, dead by the side of 264 Street in Aldergrove on Thursday morning, Prasad told a press conference through tears.
It's presumed Chia was hit by a car, she said
A one-year-old female wolf named Tempest is still missing and believed to be in the vicinity of the zoo, Prasad said, adding that the animal, which was born at the facility, has a slim chance of surviving in the wild.
Prasad described Tempest as a "shy wolf" who poses no threat to public safety, though she said she could not say what the wolf might do if a person approached her. She urged anyone who sees the animal not to approach her and instead call authorities to report the location.
The wolf's prime motivation would be to get back to her family, she said.
"As a result of this senseless act, our wolf pack has lost two family members," Prasad said. "We watched these wolves grow up. We consider the animals at the zoo a part of our family."
She said the "search and rescue operation" would continue and is asking for the public's help "to reunite Tempest with her family.”
"She is a small wolf with grey brown puppy fur and white markings on her muzzle and her brow," Prasad said.
Anyone who spots Tempest is asked contact the Greater Vancouver Zoo, Langley RCMP or the BC Conservation Officer Service by calling 1-877-952-7277.
The zoo, which is about 55 kilometres outside Vancouver, is set to reopen on Saturday, Prasad said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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