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Wolf safely captured after wandering through Victoria near B.C. legislature

Jan 27, 2020 | 7:47 AM

VICTORIA — A wolf spotted roaming a busy Victoria neighbourhood not far from the British Columbia legislature has been safely captured.

The wolf was first spotted on Saturday in the James Bay area but police and animal control officers were unable to track it down.

Sightings resumed Sunday and Victoria police say patrol officers and members of the emergency response team located the wolf and trailed it to an area between a fence and a building where it curled up and appeared to fall asleep.

Police say officers worked with residents to set up a quiet cordon around the animal to keep it contained until the BC Conservation Officer Service arrived.

The adult male wolf was tranquilized, safely removed from the area and police say veterinarians with the conservation service will determine next steps.

A lone male wolf has been living on a tiny island more than a kilometre off the coast of the Victoria suburb of Oak Bay, for the last seven years but it’s not known if the tranquilized wolf and the one on Discovery Island are the same. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2020

The Canadian Press