Wolf-human close encounter near Voyageurs park raises concerns

A wolf spotted close to Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota recently walked within 5 feet of a group of snowmobiles showing no signs of fear — behavior that’s “extremely abnormal,” researchers said Wednesday.

“The wolf seemed unalarmed, did not appear to exhibit fear of people or the snowmobiles, and just sauntered/lingered in the area,” researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project wrote on Twitter.

While the wolf wasn’t aggressive at that point, the group warned people not to approach it “even if it seems docile and friendly, and certainly do not feed the animal.”

Anyone seeing the wolf should call the local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources office at 218-757-3274 or send a message to Voyageurs Wolf Project, the group added.