Wolverine sighting causes a partial school lockdown
Students held inside William McDonald Middle School while ENR officers search for animal
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, November 25, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There was a lot of excitement Wednesday afternoon after a wolverine was spotted on the grounds on William McDonald Middle School.
This photo of a wolverine was taken at about 2 p.m. on Wednesday in the Kam Lake area. About an hour later, a wolverine was spotted on the playing field at William McDonald Middle School. ENR officials tracked the wolverine but were unable to locate it. - Photo courtesy of Joshua Lefneski |
According to principal Jeff Seabrook, the school got a call from a parent about 3:15 p.m. reporting the animal's presence.
"A parent was on their way to the arena and they called to say they sighted a wolverine just off the field, in a wooded area just off the baseball field, more towards the fire hall," he said.
"First off I called renewable resources (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and they just happened to be right around the corner. They said keep everyone away from that side. I then put the school into a semi-lockdown and kept out kids in their classrooms and I informed Ecole Allain St.-Cyr next door."
Seabrook said it was only a matter of minutes before department of environment personnel gave him the go-ahead to dismiss students at the end of the school day. He added there were no children on the playing field or near the wolverine itself.
However that didn't keep all the students, including Grade 8 student Jayden Riffel, from seeing the wild animal.
"I basically saw a big black wolverine and I told the wildlife officer where it was," Riffel said.
"It was maybe 300 yards away. They went over and checked it out and said it had walked away."
Riffel said that even though he had never seen a wolverine before he knew what it was and it did not scare him.
Three ENR officers, armed with rifles, were seen searching the wooded area but they were unable to locate the animal.
Seabrook said staff planned to be vigilant when they got to work Thursday morning.
"We'll make sure we're loud and noisy. Usually animals don't like loud and noisy," he said. "I may do an announcement in the morning. Kids are curious and want to know what's going on."
Seabrook, who is in his second year as principal at William McDonald, said this is the first time he has ever seen a wolverine on school property, but added it is not the first time he has had an encounter with a wild animal at a school.
"The last one was a bear at this same school and we did the same thing. That was back in about 2004 or 2005," Seabrook said. "The bear was sighted and (ENR officers) tracked it and pushed it off the property."
Wolverine sightings within city limits are relatively rare. The animals are well-known to be reclusive.
ENR spokesperson Judy McLinton stated in an e-mail that officers would not be returning to the school to look for the wolverine because they are confident it had moved back into forested area.
"People need to remember that wildlife live in the forested areas in and around Yellowknife. Wild animals occasionally wander into populated areas of the city, usually attracted by accessible food," she stated.
