Wildlife agents to kill wolves near Anchorage
AP, JuneauEmpire.com, November 09, 2010 [here]
ANCHORAGE - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is preparing to cull wolves from packs that are becoming more aggressive and worrying residents near east Anchorage and Eagle River.
The wolves are showing they are losing their fear of humans, regional supervisor Mark Burch told the Anchorage Daily News.
On Halloween, a pet beagle was dragged off at an Eagle River home and the next day the owner found a bloody spot in the snow with wolf prints. A few days later a neighbor found a wolf on her deck.
“When a pack of wolves is literally scouting a neighborhood and has dragged off a family’s pet from their backyard, I think it is fair to expect something to be done about it, in a swift, effective manner,” Eagle River resident Candis Olmstead wrote in a letter to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
“I really hope that an action plan to eliminate this problem will be acted upon before another pet- or God forbid, a child - is killed.” …
“These particular wolves are showing a pattern where they’re losing a fear of humans. We’re getting more reports of problems with pets. They’re showing aggression,” Burch said. “We’re definitely not taking a wait-and-see attitude.” … [more]