Wolf escapes at Highland WP

[Richard G.]

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Visitors were forced to flee after a wolf escaped from its enclosure at a Highlands wildlife park.

Eyewitnesses told STV News how a large grey wolf was spotted running free in a public area of the wildlife park in Kingussie.

Sixteen-year-old Abigail Taylor, who was in the park about 4pm on Tuesday with her family, said the wolf was running up and down outside the goat enclosure. More than 50 people were forced to spend an hour inside the site cafe while park staff tried to recapture the animal.

Abigail told STV News: "We spotted the wolf and then the park rangers appeared. They drove us to the cafe and told us efforts were being made to get the wolf back in its enclosure without tranquilising it. They told us this was not possible and the wolf was tranquilised."

Once the wolf was sedated visitors were told they could leave the cafe and return to their vehicles.

The park is home to the European Grey Wolf, Canis lupus lupus, which hunt in packs.

On its website the parks says the animals are highly intelligent, adding: "Our wolves are fed a variety of meats and vitamin and mineral supplements are given regularly."

The Highland Wildlife Park was opened in 1972 and, along with Edinburgh Zoo, is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

[eeyore]

lot of fuss about nothing - it almost certainly wouldnt have hurt anyone anyway (forced to flee my aunt sally - the worst thing you can do with a wolf is flee, stand still quietly and it will leave you alone) - more than likely the keepers wanted people kept away from it so that it didnt get freaked out and was easier to catch/ tranq

with the original wolf pack at HWP (before they were put down for semi economic reasons in 06... and yes i'm still about that ) I had been into their enclosure to take photos of them and had them come right up and lean on me just like a big dog ( I had to pay for the priviledge and sign a waiver saying that I acceped all liability if anything should happen)

[Tormentil]

It seems to me that the park staff acted sensibly and correctly. No body could have predicted what this animal would or would not do, so how you can say that "it wouldn't have hurt anyone". How many people have said that about "safe" family pets, that have ravaged children?

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

It seems to me that the park staff acted sensibly and correctly. No body could have predicted what this animal would or would not do, so how you can say that "it wouldn't have hurt anyone". How many people have said that about "safe" family pets, that have ravaged children?

i dont doubt that the park staff acted sensibly - what i was saying was mith e hysterionic way in which it was reported " visitors forced to flee as wolf escapes !!!! " - by the sounds of it no one was forced to flee, the park staff merely rounded up those visitors not in cars and took them to the cafe

[slimrbp]

I did like this quote from the Animals Collection Manager:

"There is so much mythology about how dangerous wolves are. Your average hamster is more dangerous."

BBC News - Hamsters present 'more' threat than escaped wolf