Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed a 38-year-old woman was attacked by what was believed to be a wolf in Red Lake on Thursday.

The incident happened shortly after 7 p.m. February 7, in the vicinity of the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital, said Sgt. Mike Golding, community safety and media relations coordinator for the OPP North West Region.

"The victim had apparently been walking her dog when a large black animal, described as a wolf in her view, squared off against her dog and she decided to step in between to protect her pet and at that time the animal attacked her and she received a number of injuries to her legs and her back which required some medical assistance," he said, adding the woman has been released from hospital.

Officers tried to find the animal, but "apparently it was snowing quite heavily and the tracks were covered up fairly quickly," said Golding, noting the animal has not been located.

He said in a meeting with OPP, town bylaw officers and ministry of natural resources and forestry (MNRF) officials, MNRF personnel said they have received reports of a large, black wolf in the Red Lake – Balmertown area over the last few weeks, "but they can't confirm it's the same wolf or not."