Wolves apparently freed on purpose, Vancouver zoo says amid ongoing recapture efforts
Wolves apparently freed on purpose, Vancouver zoo says amid ongoing recapture efforts
The wolves that were found outside their enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo Tuesday appear to have been freed on purpose, according to officials.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo issued a statement Tuesday afternoon calling the animals' escape suspicious, and suggesting it was "due to malicious intent."
"Langley RCMP are investigating what appears to be unlawful entry and vandalism," zoo officials said in the statement.
The zoo's website indicates there are normally 15 wolves held in captivity at the Langley property, including six cubs, but authorities have not publicly confirmed how many escaped.
Zoo officials said most had been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon, but that a "small number" remained on the loose.
They said the wolves do not pose any danger to the public.
Families hoping to visit the zoo Tuesday were turned away at the gates, as staff, Mounties and conservation officers responded to the breach.
In an email, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service told CTV News anyone who spots a wolf in the area of the zoo should "keep their distance" and report the animal immediately.
There have been no reports of attacks or injuries associated with the escaped wolves.
For the first several hours of the incident, the Greater Vancouver Zoo provided few details on what was happening, only posting a brief message to Instagram and Facebook informing the public of the closure.
"Important announcement for all zoo guests. The Greater Vancouver Zoo will remain closed for today," the post said, with a picture of the closed gates. "Thank you for understanding!"
One zoo visitor told CTV News they were turned away because of an "issue with an animal," and told nobody was permitted in the park due to safety concerns.
A park attendant said they hadn't been given any details on the incident either.
Over the years, the zoo has been the subject of several complaints and criticisms. Most recently, allegations of animal cruelty put forward by the Vancouver Humane Society were investigated by the SPCA.
In March, a statement from the Greater Vancouver Zoo about the allegations said it was "made aware of an opinion piece" about the facility.
"The Greater Vancouver Zoo takes the health and welfare of animals very seriously," the statement said.
"As a (Canada Accredited Zoo and Aquarium, and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums) facility we meet and exceed all provincial and federal requirements."
Back in 2019, the humane society filed a similar report alleging animal cruelty.
According to a study conducted by Research Co. last year on behalf of the humane society, just under half of B.C. residents support keeping animals in permanent captivity for entertainment and education. However, 89 per cent are against the international trade of exotic and wild animals for the purpose of keeping them on display in permanent captivity.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
After raising interest rates eight consecutive times, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem told an audience in Quebec City on Tuesday that inflation is showing signs of 'turning the corner' and that the coming year 'will be different.'
Residents digging through a collapsed building in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble from this week's devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
Three men who disappeared after planning to rap at a Detroit party were killed by multiple gunshots, police said Tuesday, five days after their bodies were found in a vacant, rat-infested building.
A report from British Columbia's coroner says a prominent anti-vaccine and COVID critic died in 2021 of a drug overdose, although he also tested positive for the illness post-mortem.
Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands announced Tuesday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks, a pledge that comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
Pink sea urchins off the coast of Vancouver Island are expanding into shallower waters, in what researchers say is an indication of how rapidly climate change is affecting ocean life.
Another British Columbia university has taken back the honorary degree it bestowed on retired judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond after an investigation raised doubts about her claims of Indigenous heritage.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
The Tsuut'ina Police Service, which serves a community west of Calgary, says it has spoken with more victims of former Dances With Wolves actor Nathan Chasing Horse and additional charges will be laid against him in the coming days.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Nearly five years after Matthew Staikos was gunned down in Toronto, the family of the tech CEO has renewed a $250,000 reward in the unsolved murder case.
The Laurier Macdonald High School in Montreal's Saint-Leonard borough was placed into lockdown Tuesday afternoon due to a threat, but Montreal police say they believe it appears to be unfounded.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
A forensic pathologist offered her expert opinion on how Catlin Goodwill’s three-month-old son died suddenly in October 2017, during testimony on the second day of trial.
A forensic pathologist offered her expert opinion on how Catlin Goodwill’s three-month-old son died suddenly in October 2017, during testimony on the second day of trial.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
A former medical student who claims he fatally shot a fellow student in self-defence during a drug deal in Halifax denied Tuesday he planned to kill the man and steal the marijuana he was carrying.
London police are searching for three suspects who allegedly broke into a home in the downtown core on Monday and assaulted an occupant with a baseball bat, before stealing cash and drugs.
Multiple robbery, weapons and drug charges have been laid against a man and a woman who police allege robbed a Walmart in Goderich last month, according to Huron County OPP.
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) is appealing for witnesses after an arrest in Stratford sent a 34-year-old man to hospital for treatment of a serious injury.
