Wolf encounters on the rise in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve

Published 5:00 am Monday, March 2, 2026

A dog ban remains in effect in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve following two wolf incidents last month.

The prohibition took effect Feb. 11 and was expanded Feb. 12 after two wolves attacked a dog on Willowbrae Trail. The dog was not injured. Dogs are banned from Willowbrae Trail to Green Point Rocks.

Acting resource conservation manager Liam McNeil said wolf encounters have increased over the past 18 months.

“We have been implementing a range of targeted management actions within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve over the last year and a half, striving to truly balance that blend between visitor experience and ecological protection,” McNeil said.

“Wolves have been an integral part of this coastal ecosystem for millennia and people have been living in coexistence with wolves over that time. It’s natural for wolf populations to fluctuate across the landscape over the decades. We do believe that the region including Tofino, Ucluelet and the Long Beach Unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is seeing a small increase in wolf populations right now… It’s really important for us to continue to ensure that they maintain that natural wariness so that we can continue to live in coexistence with those wolves.”

He added that all dogs must be leashed in the areas they are permitted.

“Coexistence with wildlife in the region is a shared responsibility for all of us. Our goal is to truly promote and find a way for wolves and humans to coexist in the area longterm,” McNeil said.

“We know that when dogs enter wolf territory, they can often trigger defensive behaviour and draw wolves closer to people and that can increase the risk of habituation and then that habituation can lead to food conditioning, wolves lose their natural wariness and it puts them at risk …Wolves are excellent at finding food within their environment. They will seek out food of various sources. Our goal is to ensure that they continue to seek wild natural food,” he said.

“It is absolutely integral that visitors keep their dogs on leash, leave them at home if they can, make sure their securing all their attractants when the visit the park reserve or within the neighbouring regions like Tofino, Ucluelet, et cetera, and just help the wolves maintain that natural wariness of humans and dogs and keep them wild.”

McNeil said the dog ban area is monitored with regular patrols and anyone who spots a dog within the prohibition area is encouraged to report it to the park reserve .

“We love these areas and we love the wildness and the ecological components of the national park reserve. That’s why it’s vital that we all share the burden, share that responsibility to keep wildlife wild. It’s a good reminder that, for many of us, seeing a wolf in the wild may be a once in a lifetime experience, but for the wolves themselves they may have numerous encounters with humans every single day, so it is vital that we play our part to ensure that we’re not inadvertently contributing to that habituation, loss of wariness that lead to poor outcomes for the wolves,” he said.

He noted dog owners who fail to abide by the prohibition or leash law can face fines up to $25,000.

“We are continuing to monitor that activity and this area may either expand or contract based on that monitoring going forward. A key component of us being able to monitor and change the criteria of this dog prohibition is people having that shared responsibility and working with the park reserve to keep these wolves wild,” he said.

“We naturally have a deep love of our animals and they provide so much to us. It’s also vital for us to remember that our actions influence the safety and well being of the wildlife and landscapes upon which we visit.”

McNeil noted the park reserve has seen success with a seasonal dog ban first launched in 2022 to protect migratory shorebirds from being disturbed which, he said, has seen “excellent support from local community members.”

“That prohibition was put in place in support of seasonal migratory shorebirds and that has seen both really positive support from the community as well as benefits to the shorebirds and other wildlife in the area as well,” he said

A wolf was killed in the park reserve in 2017 after attacking a dog and McNeil said every effort will be made to avoid that outcome being repeated.

“Euthanizing or relocating a wolf is something that Parks Canada in general and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is absolutely trying to avoid to the best of our ability.

“People have lived alongside wolves for millennia and they carry an deep cultural importance to those of us that live in the region. We’re really trying to ensure that these management measures allow the wolves to co-exist in the region longterm, as they have for millennia before,” he said.

“Wolves carry a deep cultural importance to many of us that live out on the coast,” he said. “Wolves have continued to be a part of our landscape for millennia and they have continued to be a part of our landscape since those tragic events previously in 2016 and 2017. We have a real opportunity as a region as visitors and as locals to really play a role in keeping these animals wild and allowing them to coexist for the longterm.”

He added that residents of Tofino, Ucluelet and surrounding First Nations should be wary that increased wolf activity in the park reserve could mean increased wolf activity in their communities as well.

“Wolves range very broadly and they can move very rapidly across the landscape,” he said, “We know these wolves will be within the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and neighbouring communities and they can shift between communities within a couple of hours. They can traverse the landscape very quickly. So, while we’re taking management actions in the park reserve to try and reduce conflicts, this is a good reminder that all of us throughout the entire region can take our own actions to try to keep them wild.”