Even though Thompson is surrounded by dense boreal forest and wolves can be very elusive, we are getting more wolf sightings from the public. Recently the same wolf has shown up around and in town. You can see several photos of him/her on the Wolf Sightings web page. It’s obvious this one is get used to people which is not a good thing. It’s a small wolf and needs to find easy prey. Sooner or later habituated wolves will present a problem or cause someone to complain or feel threatened. That usually ends up with a call to Manitoba Conservation to remove or destroy the wolf.

Currently, most Thompson residents hold a neutral view of wolves as they create little or no conflict situations often found elsewhere around the world. Sometimes moose hunters don’t like them as both are competing for the same food.

Most of the wolf sightings around Thompson are of single wolves. Packs are rare in this vicinity. This could be because there have been no forest fires close to Thompson in over 40 years. Which results in dense, old growth forest. Moose tend to feed in more open areas with new growth. A single wolf will never be able to take down a large moose, but will feed on smaller prey such as beaver or rabbits.

Packs of wolves are seen around Leaf Rapids, north of Thompson, which has had more than its share of forest fires. Last year a local resident witnessed a pack of 14 wolves crossing Highway 6 about 120 miles south of Thompson, another area of many fire burns. A pack of 14 wolves will require a lot of food!

The Wolf Sightings page has a wonderful video clip of 8 wolf pups along a river’s edge and several of them are swimming. This video was taken about 20 miles from Thompson.

All in all, the sightings in our region are a small glimpse into the elusive and fascinating world of wolves.