Wolf-dog Hybrid Killing Spree Ends on Salt Spring Island

     A long-time sheep producer on Salt Spring Island has reported that a wolf-dog killed 16 lambs on his farm over two evenings, before the animal was shot and identified around Feb 18^th. The owner of the wolf-dog has not come forward. This was at the same time as a report of another wolf-dog killing pets and deer on Bowen Island. The animal was sighted and identified, and the Bowen Island Municipality has hired a professional trapper. Conservation officers do not deal with wolf-dogs, because they are not considered wildlife. Bowen Island does not allow the discharge of firearms, and although there have been several sightings this has made it difficult to make the killings stop. Bowen Municipality has recently posted a notice asking for the public's assistance in the location of the owner of the wolf-dog hybrid at large on the island. Because the animal has killed pets in front of people, and shows no fear of humans, the public are reminded that if they encounter the hybrid they should remain calm, back away slowly, don't run, and take refuge in a safe location. The public are also instructed that they “may wish to take further precautions by not letting small children or pets outdoors unattended”.Bowen Island Municipality Website - Wolf-Dog Notice to Public

      Just before the reported wolf-dog on Salt Spring I received an email from a sheep producer on one of the smaller islands. They reported a wolf had been on Moresby Island, just off of Pender Island where I live. It was seen and heard by the family that live there. It had been on Sidney Island, Gooch Island, then Moresby. As of Feb 11, the howling had stopped and they were alerting me that the wolf may be headed to Pender Island. I sent an email out to some sheep producers, but then heard of the killing of sheep on Salt Spring. There was the possibility of the same wolf doing the killing, but by the end of the week it ended up being identified as a wolf-dog on Salt Spring. I don't know if the dog that recently killed sheep on Pender over several weeks was also a wolf-dog, or what became of the reported Moresby Island wolf.

The last time a real wolf had terrorized an island, killing pets and livestock, it was a few years ago on Saturna Island. For several weeks this went on, before the wolf was spotted and killed on Samuel Island. It was identified as a Vancouver Island wolf.

      It is rare to have a wolf arrive on a relatively predator free island and set up shop, so to speak. The plentiful deer are very attractive to them, but their brazen lifestyle make them a target for man. Or is it rare? Years ago, Vancouver Island had many wolves. From the 1920's to 1950 the wolves were almost completely eradicated, even considered by some to be locally extinct. From 1950-1970 wolf sightings were very rare and deer populations increased. After 1970 numbers increased again, but this time the wolves were predominantly from the mainland, leap-frogging through the network of islands to the north end of Vancouver Island. From there they migrated toward the south end. Wolves were sighted swimming to the smaller islands. In the 1980's, wolves overran Vancouver Island and several attacks resulted in a provincial plan to significantly reduce wolf numbers, primarily to increase deer numbers for hunters.

Recent genetic evidence has verified this migration pattern, and has also shown that a small amount of dog genes are in some wolves sampled on Vancouver Island.. Not a lot, but enough to indicate either natural mating, or reintroduction of wolf-dogs that have been specifically bred by man.

At any rate, the popular trend of owning a wolf-dog as a pet has increased.youtube video of wolf dog on salt spring jan 31st Pups are available for sale by breeders, and for those who are too hard to handle, there are wolf-dog sanctuaries and some of these will offer wolf-dogs for adoption or “rescue”. The SPCA will not put wolf-dog hybrids up for adoption and if such animals are surrendered to SPCA shelters they will be euthanized. In a position statement, the SPCA are opposed to keeping, breeding, and importing of wolf-dog hybrids. According to the SPCA, “the animals are difficult to train or contain, and they show a high incidence of both predatory and idiopathic aggression towards other animals and humans. Any wolf-dogs already kept as pets should be muzzled, spayed or neutered, contained within secure runs, and vaccinated.”

    In December, a Kamloops judge found the owners of a wolf-dog hybrid liable for damages after it attacked a woman. The judge ruled that wild traits of the wolf-dog override, and they are not harmless by nature but are animals of wild nature. It is not known if the wolf-dog attacks on the islands are from at-large pets, or from wolf-dogs dropped off onto the islands because they are too hard to handle, and their owners thought they could “fend for themselves”.

Predators of Sheep

Llama guarding flock of sheep

The Gulf Islands are well known as an ideal place to raise
sheep - the climate, the grass, the quality of lamb produced, 
and the lack of wild predators.  But the reality is a bit 
different - for years sheep producers in the Gulf Islands 
have struggled with dogs, ravens, golden eagles, and the odd 
rogue bald eagle that attack lambs. On Salt Spring there has 
been the odd bear or cougar. For Vancouver Island, the major
predator is the cougar, for the rest of the province it is 
coyotes, and sometimes bears, cougars and wolves. 
     Predation of sheep is not unique to BC, and a survey of 
sheep producers across Canada by the Canadian Sheep 
Federation revealed that about half of all sheep producers 
have lost sheep to predators and the impact is significant.
     Last year the CSF worked on a national strategy to 
deal with the predator issue, which included a presentation 
to the federal minister of agriculture, and a Value Chain 
Roundtable on Predation in Toronto which I attended.
     The BC Sheep Federation started a Wild Predator Loss 
Prevention Pilot Program last fall to develop a sustainable 
approach to predator issues for all commercial livestock.  
The sheep sector has not been well served in the past, 
and in BC sheep producers are notcompensated for losses from 
wild predators.  This project was to helpdevelop prevention 
strategies, identify needs, gather baseline data and hold 
regional meetings to determine regional specific problems. 
At one meeting to discuss predators one of the producers on 
a conference call with us had to break from the meeting to 
chase off a coyote - the irony of the situation was not lost 
on us.   
   At a followup workshop in Princeton in conjunction with 
this year's BCSF AGM and seminar, a seasoned conservation 
officer advised producers as to what they can do to minimize 
the impact of predators, and what to do if prevention fails.
     Upon returning from the meeting, I found out that a 
stray dog had been running loose at our end of the island and 
had attacked a nearby flock, killing and injuring several 
sheep.  This wasn't the first time this year that dogs had 
been at large chasing deer or sheep on our island.  The one 
predator that we didn't talk about in the round of meetings 
over the past year was dogs, because they are viewed as a 
local government issue.  For us, CRD Animal Control is in 
charge of licensing dogs and ensuring that stray dogs are 
dealt with.  Butalthough a vigilant animal control officer 
is valuable in a community with sheep farms, we all rely on 
pet owners to have their dogs under control.
     And any dog can be a problem dog.  A survey of dog 
owners in Australia found that most pet owners are in denial 
about the ability of their own dog to cause damage.  Any dog 
is capable of chasing sheep and attacking them.  It is in 
their nature.  Indeed, most dogs are just having fun when 
they take chase of a sheep or a deer.  Many times, 
especially in hot weather, the sheep will die from exhaustion 
and won't have a mark on them.  Often, the wounds are 
extensive and the sheep may need to be put down, or it may 
have long term problems.
      Sometimes it isn't known who's dog was involved, and 
that is really a problem because it is very likely that dog 
will strike again.  I have had dogs attack my sheep on more 
than one occasion and the owners of the dogs have all 
responded differently.
     What can we do about dogs?  Owners have to keep them 
under control at all times.  Just because it is a pet 
doesn't mean it won't chase a sheep.  Producers are 
legally allowed to shoot any dog on their property that is 
worrying their flock, and anyone who sees a dog at large 
should call their local animal control officer, and alert 
any nearby sheep producers.  Sheep producers can receive 
compensation - either from the dog owner (if known)or the 
local government in charge of animal control 
(if the owner is not known).  Llamas can be helpful to keep 
with sheep, because they don't like dogs and they will 
inspect anything strange that enters the field with their 
sheep.  Guardian dogs are also useful to keep with sheep 
and can help with predators and stray dogs.
     Recently the BC Sheep Federation sent out a copy of the 
Sheep N'Ewes to every sheep producer in BC that receives the 
pink CSIP tags, and in the center of the magazine is 
information on the Wild Predator Loss Prevention Pilot 
Program, with a survey that I urge every sheep producer to 
fill out and mail in.  There is an area of the survey where 
producers can write how many sheep have been lost, and by 
what type of predator.  Be sure to indicate how many have 
been lost to dogs (or ravens, eagles, etc).  This will help 
the BCSF and your local sheep organizations advocate on your
behalf. (In the Gulf Islands the local sheep association is 
the Inter Island Sheep Breeders Assn.) 

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Predators on the Farm; Part 1 - Poultry

When we think of predator/prey relationships, it may be of wild animals, not domestic ones. But on farms, lines can be crossed and domestic livestock and poultry can be preferred targets for some predators. On islands especially, ecological imbalances can be acutely felt when predator numbers explode.
Poultry, such as chickens, turkeys and ducks are common targets. Allowing poultry to free-range may seem to be humane, but they can be easy pickings for eagles, hawks, ravens, mink, racoons, owls and even dogs. Young chicks can be eaten by cats, and sometimes rats. At one time all chickens were kept this way and their outdoor diets of grass, worms, grubs and mice (yes, chickens are predators too) were supplemented with grains and household scraps. Many people would keep just a few chickens close by, and the chickens would see that it was safer to hang out where the people lived. After nutritional requirements for chickens were scientifically established, and a complete commercial diet available, chickens were able to be kept indoors for their own protection. From this, the next step was a caged system that allowed for easy collection of clean eggs. Chickens are nibblers by nature, so feed is kept in front of them at all times, and water. A long day light triggers laying, like the onset of spring, so light systems are used to keep the hens laying. Breeding programs were developed for chickens so they would lay eggs year round. Chickens lost their freedom, but were protected from predators.
Nowadays, many people feel that chickens should be allowed to have access to the outdoors so they can enjoy their natural behaviours that they can't enjoy in a cage, like dust bathing and scratching the ground for insects and seeds. However, unless the farmer is willing to take a big loss due to predators, they must have fencing and housing that prevent predator entry, even from the sky. Quite a task, especially in the Gulf Islands where all the predators listed above now reside. We may not have “foxes in the hen house” here, but we seem to have everything else.

Raccoon, from Wikimedia

According to Todd Golumbia, an ecologist with the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, there are plans to look at the role of medium-sized, or mesopredators, like raccoons on several small islands. In the Gulf Islands, the story can be quite complicated since raccoons are on some islands and not on others. In some instances this can be related to island size and suitability of habitat but there is evidence of human-initiated introductions of raccoons to islands. Raccoons that are captured in town are often relocated, sometimes to the Gulf Islands. Species like raccoons are not viewed strictly as an introduced species, since they are native to this region. All the large predators historically present on the islands are now gone so a species like raccoons are more numerous than in the past. In this instance, they often "explode" in numbers and become hyper-abundant leading to negative effects in the environment as smaller, more vulnerable prey species decline or even become extinct, especially on islands. They can be voracious predators and are particularly hard on nesting birds.
Historical records, and long time residents of the Gulf Islands, have said that raccoons were never on North Pender Island, so we had a large population of grouse, quail and other ground nesting birds. Former BC Premier Simon Fraser Tolmie had worked as a Dominion Livestock Inspector early in his career. After one of his visits to the Menzies dairy farm on Pender Island in the early 1900's, he wrote that he loved to come to the island to see and hear the many grouse that lived here. Since the raccoons came to North Pender just a few years ago, I have not heard a grouse in our woods, nor seen a family of quail cross my path.
We had every imaginable predator attack our chickens this year, so that there are only five wiser and cautious pullets that are counted every morning. They haven't even begun laying yet!! All our egg layers were killed, so there were no eggs on the stand this summer. I had to chase a mink out of the chicken house just the other day, so now the grateful chickens come running and follow me around the yard. This summer I also chased an eagle off of a very stunned pullet – but the eagle kept coming back until he finally received his reward. Not all our predator attacks are face to face confrontations – usually we just see the aftermath – a pile of feathers, a leg, or nothing at all. Just fewer chickens, with the remainder hiding in the bushes. Our black Spanish turkeys free range with fewer problems, at least for the adults, because they resemble Turkey vultures. The young are easy targets for ravens. Racoons are nocturnal, so I just see families on the road at night. Then this summer, we caught a raccoon who quickly put his hands over his eyes. He was so darn cute; I can see why people like to feed them, but it should be remembered that raccoons are wild animals and should not be fed. They can also be vicious, and often carry disease. He put up a fight as he went into a cage while his fate was deliberated. It's definitely time to regroup and fabricate a humane yet better predator-proof system for the chickens.