SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The capital city may be the NWT's metropolis, but one Yellowknife author and naturalist reminds Northerners we are still in the wild and not to fear it - but to try and understand it.

"Yellowknife is this urban island surrounded by a sea of boreal forest," Jamie Bastedo said.

He has spent the past 26 years living in the NWT studying wildlife and climate.

In recent years, he said he has heard of more sightings of wolves than he had in the past but noted that doesn't necessarily mean wolves are creeping closer to the city.

Bastedo said Yellowknifers are increasingly mobile and outdoorsy. As well, homes are being constructed farther into what was once wilderness.

"We have an active population getting out on the land, so are we measuring changes in human behaviour in abundance, or are we measuring wolf behaviour in abundance?" he said.

In recent months there were two attacks on pets by wolves. On Nov. 23 a dog was attacked by a pack of wolves at the Sand Pits but the dog escaped without serious injury. On Dec. 5 a Kam Lake resident's dog was killed outside his home.

Bastedo sees the two attacks by wolves on pets as something that was inevitable.

"When wolves are hungry, they follow their nose," he said.

Bastedo said this is nothing to fear, only something to be vigilant about and respect.

Dean Cluff, regional biologist for the North Slave region with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said Yellowknifers are fortunate to have wildlife close by, but because city dwellers share territory with predatory creatures, encounters will happen.

"On a grand scheme of things, with the Northwest Territories, every year there's some instances of wolves in at least one community. We've heard instances of wolf problems around Colville Lake this year." Cluff said,. "We might have a few now this year in Yellowknife, we've had some on the Ingraham Trail in the past, so it varies from year to year."

Cluff said he is concerned attacks from animals means they are becoming comfortable with humans.

"People like to see wildlife. It's often as a treat, and I enjoy that experience as well. When I go out in the wilderness I want to see wildlife, it's part of the enjoyment," Cluff said.

But to keep wildlife wild, people shouldn't feed wild animals and need to keep dogs on leashes so they don't chase after wolves or other wild animals.

Cluff said if a wild animal starts acting nervous but doesn't leave, people should shout and act aggressive - most of the time that will ward off wildlife.

"We do have wolves around town, it's not unusual." Cluff said, adding people should be aware wildlife could be drawn to places like the Kam Lake area, where sled dogs are raised and kept, and the garbage dump.

Bastedo said he feels lucky to have seen wolves and to co-exist with them here. Watching them over the past quarter century, he has observed that not every wolf acts the same and people can't assume every wolf means harm.

"Wolves aren't robots. Every single wolf has a different personality," said Bastedo. "To me, we are very lucky to have wolves here."

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