This is a seasonal note to the community to remember that we share Cortes Island with wild wolves. The Cortes Community Wolf Project’s 5-point primer is attached below for your reference; 5 practical and effective ways to champion coexistence.

The most common wolf encounters involving conflict, involve dogs; if you are a dog owner, please note:
1. Dogs act as a magnet for wolves; wolves see dogs as a territorial threat. Any area outside personal residences and public centres, is wolf territory.

2. Understand, “the power of the leash”. Wolves view dogs on leash as clearly associated with a human and this dramatically reduces the risk of conflict; free-roaming dogs are viewed as prey.
To support coexistence, all our provincial and regional district parks mandate dogs on leash.

3. Know that you can control your dog on leash. When a wolf is encountered, many dogs strain to get off the leash to check out the wolf; domestic dogs have lost their sense of danger around wild wolves.

4. Wolves may and often do, follow people walking dogs on leash when they encounter each other. This is known as “escorting” behavior; the wolves ensuring the territorial threat to them is removed. If you find yourself in this situation, return your dog to your vehicle or home enclosure.

5. There are areas on Cortes Island that we associate with prime wolf territory, eg. the northern wilds of Ha’thayim/ Von Donop Inlet and Carrington Bay; it is advisable to walk these areas without dogs.

Wolves are active on Cortes Island year-round and are always watching and studying us. Behavioral consistency across our community, spells coexistence success when we responsibly behave in these ways that do not put wolves at risk.
Thank you for your efforts to learn to live together with our wild wolves!

If you are new to the Island or just want to learn more about the Cortes Community Wolf Project and wildlife coexistence, please do not hesitate to reach out!