2 people injured in wolf attack while stopped on the Dalton Highway, troopers say

A motortruck makes its measurement southbound connected nan Dalton Highway adjacent Coldfoot, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/Alaska’s Energy Desk)

Two group were injured Monday erstwhile a wolf spot them arsenic they were stopped for building activity on nan Dalton Highway, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Troopers learned of nan onslaught adjacent Coldfoot, astatine Mile 37 of nan highway, soon earlier 3:30 p.m. Monday according to an online report.

“Investigation revealed a wolf spot nan 2 motorists successful their little extremities while they were stopped successful a building area and retired of their conveyance while waiting for nan aviator car,” troopers said. “The wolf fled into nan woods aft being changeable astatine by different motorist and is not believed to person been struck.”

Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel said nan onslaught occurred arsenic nan motorists – some Alaskans – were extracurricular their camper and examining it. Multiple different commercialized vehicles were stopped successful nan area astatine nan time.

The Dalton extends much than 400 miles north, linking Livengood successful nan state’s Interior pinch Deadhorse and nan state’s Prudhoe Bay oilfields. The isolated highway, seen connected nan TV show “Ice Road Truckers,” is nan superior overland nexus to nan North Slope.

McDaniel said that nan achromatic wolf was showing behaviour accordant pinch having been fed by motorists anterior to Tuesday’s incident – including a deficiency of fearfulness of humans.

“The wolf would extremity astatine vehicles, benignant of look for illustration he was expecting nutrient aliases immoderate type of handout from nan conveyance earlier proceeding connected to nan adjacent vehicle,” McDaniel said.

The group bitten by nan wolf continued southbound and received aesculapian attraction successful Fairbanks, McDaniel said. Troopers didn’t person connection connected whether they had suffered rabies aliases different infections from nan wolf bites.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers were consulting pinch authorities Department of Fish and Game biologists Tuesday to find whether they should activity retired nan wolf progressive successful nan attack, McDaniel said. Requests to nan Fairbanks Fish and Game agency for remark weren’t instantly answered Tuesday afternoon.

Wolf attacks connected group are uncommon successful Alaska, but Chignik Lake coach Candice Berner was killed by wolves successful 2010 arsenic she went jogging adjacent nan Alaska Peninsula village. Homer nationalist power position KBBI reported that Fish and Game biologists killed 8 wolves pursuing nan attack, 1 of them positively identified arsenic 1 of nan wolves that attacked Berner. Her decease came a twelvemonth aft Bethel nationalist power position KYUK reported that a moose hunter survived an onslaught by a rabid wolf on nan Kuskokwim River.

Last June, Fairbanks nationalist power position KUAC reported that a Coldfoot-based wildlife trooper changeable and killed a antheral wolf that was attacking semi trucks’ tires on nan Dalton. A necropsy showed signs of malnutrition, but nary denotation that nan wolf successful that incident was rabid.

Based connected nan behaviour of nan wolf successful Monday’s attack, troopers urged group not to provender chaotic animals.

“Even though these individuals were not feeding nan wolf, it was observed to beryllium exhibiting behaviour suggestive of having been fed by different motorists,” troopers said successful nan dispatch. “Feeding wildlife is not only vulnerable but besides forbidden and punishable pinch a fine.”