Wolf pack takes down Ya Ha Tinda Ranch yearling
Could be a first in the 102-year history of the Parks Canada facility
Parks Canada says one of its horses was killed by a pack of wolves at its Ya Ha Tinda Ranch earlier this month.
This could be a first for the 102-year old-ranch, which is about 150 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
"Just that fright response, the flight of the horses may have triggered a chase response in the wolves," Bill Hunt of Parks Canada told CBC News on Friday.
It's believed a wolf pack travelled through the ranch the night of March 12 and spooked about a dozen colts in a paddock. Scared yearlings broke open the gate, and one of them was caught and killed by the wolves.
Two male wolves in that pack were recently fitted with radio collars as part of research work related to Banff's bison herd, Hunt said. So staff knew that the pack had been hunting elk in the area before the horse was killed.
Staff continue to monitor the pack's movement and activity, Hunt said.
"It hasn't happened in 100 years, so we're hoping it was just a fluke occurrence, but we're certainly not taking any chances either. We'll be watching our horses very closely," Hunt said.
There are about 100 horses on Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, which is used to train, rear and winter horses used in national parks across Western Canada.
Hunt said parks staff are upset over the death. Remaining colts have been moved to a more secure spot in the short term.
With files from Dave Gilson