There will be a lot less fear and anxiety on the island now that the wolf hybrid that has been attacking pets and livestock has been killed.
At 6:30 on Wednesday morning, a trapper hired by the municipality shot the beast.
"It was done in a very safe and humane manner and there was no harm to the public," says bylaw officer Chris Buchanan. "This man knew his stuff."
After spending weeks waiting for the proper approvals - there is no hunting allowed on Bowen Island - the municipality was finally able to get the trapper to come to the island. He arrived on Tuesday afternoon and he and Buchanan visited many of the sites where the hybrid had been spotted. The trapper established where the hybrid would most likely return and was there waiting early on Wednesday morning.
Buchanan doesn't want to say where the animal was killed, but says it was done with a bullet that did minimal injury to the animal. It was killed immediately.
On Tuesday afternoon, the trapper was of two minds about his chances of quickly killing what many people believe was a cross between a wolf and a dog, Buchanan said. "He felt it would either be done quickly or not at all."
Buchanan is relieved that the hybrid is dead. There have been many killings of sheep in the past few days, including at his brother Pat's and Peter Frinton's. (The Undercurrent has a story about the death of Suzan Philippe's beloved sheep on page 10.) As well, Ed Booiman watched the hybrid maul his pet dog to death and many cats and dogs have disappeared or been killed in the months since the hybrid was first spotted.
The hybrid even made front-page news in the National Post on Wednesday morning.
Local vet Alastair Westcott is off the island so the municipality is not going to do blood tests to determine if the beast was indeed part wolf. Buchanan says knowing the animal's genetics would not make any difference now and would just add another cost to the municipality's bill. Conservation officers said they were not responsible for dispatching or removing the animal since it was part dog.
Meanwhile, a black bear is once again making the rounds of the island. Buchanan has received two calls about sightings and The Undercurrent received a photo of the bear on Wednesday morning.) It's not yet known if the sightings are of the same bear.
Last year, Conservation Officers removed a male black bear from the island after it became habituated to humans, and their garbage. It's not yet known if the same thing will happen to this other bear.
Buchanan asks that people phone the bylaw non-emergency number, 604-328-5499, whenever they see the bear so the municipality can have a record of where it's been sighted. Dealing with the bear is the province's responsibility.
