By Ian Holmes

Nanaimo man offering up close and personal experience with wolves

Apr 28, 2017 | 4:23 PM

NANAIMO — Wolf sightings on Vancouver Island are extremely rare, but a Nanaimo area couple is changing that.

Gary Allan and his wife own three animals which are at least 90 per cent wolf. Over the past several years his female wolf Tundra has been petted by an estimated 25,000 students at 150 schools across the province.

For Allan, it’s all about breaking down stereotypes and common misconceptions and giving people the memorable experience of interacting with wolves.

“There’s only been two human deaths in 125 years in North America caused by wolves,” Allan said. “Deer annually in North America killed 13 people with their hooves and their antlers.”

Allan said his in-person wolf visits are going beyond classrooms and to the general public in early May at their Cedar property. He said scientific based information will be shared during events to take place three times a week.

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“I have videos of them engaging in wolf behaviour, we’ll take Tundra for a walk. It’ll be a hands-on program.”

He said more information will be posted here.

Allan said his wolves were bred in captivity. He said permits to own one are not required, unless the animals are 100 per cent wolf.

Tundra, who’s 10-years-old and weighs 80 pounds, visited NanaimoNewsNOW this week, interacting with people in the office just like any domestic dog would. Allan said Tundra and his two other larger wolves are social, high-maintenance animals.

He said raw and cooked meats are staples of their diets.

“Tundra eats chicken drumsticks raw (and) crunches them. Between the three of them it costs over $600 a month to feed them and then there’s other costs in the month as well. These are not cheap animals.”

The Ministry of the Environment estimates there are fewer than 150 wolves on Vancouver Island, most north of Campbell River and on the island’s west coast.

Ian.holmes@jpgb.ca

On Twitter: @reporterholmes