Update at 11:40 a.m. by Josh Smith, 11 Connects
A naturalist leading the search for the wolves told 11 Connects she's almost positive the wolves are still in the park. "I'm 99% positive they're still here," said Rhonda Goins, Bays Mountain Park Naturalist. "We've heard them answer some of their calls, and I really think they're in the basin near the lake."
Volunteers and park staff who have worked with the wolves are searching the roads and ridgelines.
Goins says the wolves have no hunting skills because they've been raised in capitivty. For that reason, she says there's "almost no risk" of an attack by one of the animals. Still, Goins says to avoid the three wolves if you spot them.
"Our hope is that we'll find them and walk them back to their area in the park," Goins said. "They're so used to us, they'll just follow us back to their homes when they see us."
Update Friday at 5:15 a.m. by Josh Smith, 11 Connects
Overnight, a Bays Mountain Park ranger said 3 of the 6 escaped wolves still have not been found.
A park ranger said the fenced in area was baited, and rangers plan to check the area this morning around 6:30 a.m.. The search was called off last night because the terrain was too dangerous to search at night.
If you see the wolves, do not approach them, the ranger advised.
UPDATE:
Bays Mountain Park officials say the search for the three missing wolves has been called off for Thursday night. The search will start again at daylight on Friday.
Bays Mountain Park says 6 wolves escaped from their habitat in the park early Thursday morning, after high winds knocked down a large oak tree, which knocked down a section of fence. Senior Naturalist Ken Childress tells us that 3 of the escaped wolves have been recovered, and they have located 1 one of the others. Childress says the other 2 are still most likely within the park, within less than a mile of the habitat. The park is closed and will remain that way until all the animals are back in the habitat. "These wolves are what we call 'socialized'," says Childress, "which means they won't panic if they see people, but people should not try to approach or pet the animals." Childress says they are using different methods to lure the wolves back, including howling and food. He says there is a possibility the animals may have to be tranquilized in order to transport them back. Childress says the chance of the animals getting out of the park is slim, but if someone should see one of them, do not approach the animal, just call Bays Mountain at 229-9447 and tell them where you saw it.
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