UCLUELET — At least three dogs have been attacked by West Coast wolves in the past week.

The Pacific Rim National Park issued a wolf advisory on Thursday after two wolves attacked two off-leash dogs on Wickaninnish Beach about 10 a.m. on March 11.

One of the dogs was killed while the other is still recovering from injuries.

Wolf advisories have been posted throughout the park and local accommodation providers have received information to distribute to their guests, according to the Park's human wildlife conflict specialist Todd Windle.

"I don't think there's an elevated risk to people at this time, but there is an elevated risk to pets off leash," Windle said.

Wolf attacks within the park are "definitely uncommon," but the West Coast region as a whole sees an average of about five dogs killed by predators each year, he said.

"As far as wolves go, we're not aware of any . . . [incidents] where the pets are on a leash, so . . . the No. 1 thing you can do to keep your pet safe is to keep it on a leash," he said.

"We see [dogs] as pets, but absolutely to a large carnivore they don't see them as pets, they see them as just another potential food source," Windle said. "Whether they're habituated or not, if they see a dog running free, that's possibly their next meal."

Concern is running high among park officials who have seen an increase in wolf sightings in recent weeks and Windle suggested it is not so much the number of sightings, but the nature of the behaviour being reported that is of key concern. Some sightings suggest wolves prowling the park's beaches are showing bold, habituated, behaviour and have lost their natural fear of humans.

"Normally wolves are fairly secretive and they actually go out of their way, for the most part, to be away from people," he said. "Maybe they're losing a bit of that fear, that natural wariness of people, and that's what we really want to keep in them because that's what keeps them safe."

Wednesday's wolf attack occurred just days after a wolf attacked a dog in residential Ucluelet.

Ucluelet Coun. Sally Mole let her six-year-old Chocolate Lab named Mader outside for a late-night bathroom break around 11:30 p.m. March 7.

"She came back in, in about 10 minutes, and she was all wet and limping so we looked her over and she'd obviously been in some kind of fight," Mole said.

"Then our neighbour called from across the road and said. 'We just broke up a fight between a wolf and your dog.'"

Mole said Mader suffered several puncture wounds, but was up and walking around on Monday.

"She was in rough shape. She bled all [Saturday] night," Mole said. "She's getting better every day."

Mole immediately reported the incident to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

"They did say it's pretty typical wolf activity, it's not a red flag, and I agree with that," she said.

"It's what a wolf would do, they see a dog out at large at night and that looks like food, so they're on it."

She said she has seen wolves around her Ucluelet residence before, but this is the first time one has attacked Mader.

She plans to keep her dog close by and on a leash from now on and encourages other locals with canine companions to do the same.

"Accompanying them out, especially at night, is definitely the thing to do," she said.

Anyone who spots a wolf within the National Park is urged to report their sighting to 1-877-852-3100 and any sightings in the Park's neighbouring communities should be reported to the BC Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277.

Windle urges locals and visitors to report sightings so action can be taken to prevent future incidents.

"Reporting those observations or encounters in a timely manner really helps us get a better picture of what's going on."

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