Wildlife officers kill wolf near Yellowknife's Ranney Hill, days after hiker bitten

Wildlife officials in Yellowknife have confirmed that they killed a wolf in the Ranney Hill area, days after a woman was bit by a wolf on the walking trail.

"We are working to determine if this is the same wolf that was involved in the incident on Sunday," Shannon Graf with the Department of Environment and Climate Change wrote in an email to CBC News on Wednesday.

"Another wolf was also sighted and officers will continue to patrol the surrounding areas on Ingraham Trail."

The Ranney Hill trail was closed on the weekend after officials received reports of the incident. Officials secured the area and put up signs to warn people to stay out of the area near Vee Lake.

Catherine Pigott, a retired CBC North producer, confirmed that she was the person who was bit. She said she was walking her dog when the wolf approached and confronted them right on the pathway. Pigott confirmed some details of the encounter to CBC via email. 

She said she was making noise in case of bears, but the wolf took her by surprise, was immediately aggressive, and more interested in her than her dog. She fended the wolf off by hitting it around the face with the clip end of her dog leash. Pigott said she did this while walking backward and keeping the animal facing her as she retreated up the trail toward the parking lot.

It was at one point when she turned her back that the wolf lunged and bit her backside. She has puncture wounds and bruises from the bite.

The territorial government's wildlife veterinarian Naima Jutha told CBC News earlier this week it was a "significant bite."

Jutha examines injuries related to wildlife attacks and tries to figure out why an attack might have happened. She said there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered to explain this wolf's behaviour.

Wildlife officers are continuing to patrol the surrounding area, and Graf said they're asking the public to stay off the Vee Lake trails and be cautious of all surrounding areas, including the popular Yellowknife River day use area.

While wolf encounters are rare, wildlife officials say people who come in contact with a wolf should raise their arms to make themselves appear larger, act aggressively, make noise and throw objects, and not turn their back on the animal or run. People should maintain eye contact with a wolf and back away slowly and calmly.