The wolf cull in northern B.C. may be creating changes in the Okanagan, says a UBCO researcher.

Over the past decade, local hunters have been reporting more sightings of wolves in nearby hunting ranges.

91裸聊视频淲e may be seeing something that is not really about the Okanagan, but it might be (from) wolves coming in from another place that they91裸聊视频檙e leaving,91裸聊视频� said Adam Ford, an associate professor of biology and Canada research chair in wildlife restoration ecology at UBCO.

In an attempt to recover caribou populations, wolves have been killed and that may be causing packs to split up and move on.

91裸聊视频淥nly some animals in the pack are breeding, the alpha male and alpha female. If one of them dies you might get some animals moving around more even though you91裸聊视频檙e trying to reduce movement,91裸聊视频� Ford said.

READ MORE: Environmental groups criticize new mountain caribou recovery proposals

Jesse Zeman, with the BC Wildlife Federation, said around 10,000 resident hunters have been seeing wolves in the wilderness around the Okanagan Valley, more recently on the Westside and near Peachland.

91裸聊视频淎ll indications are is that we91裸聊视频檙e seeing more wolves and in parts more grizzly bears as well,91裸聊视频� he said.

He said part of it could because of the recolonization of wolves across western North America, after they were eradicated in the USA.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e recolonizing these areas that historically they could have occupied,91裸聊视频� he said.

Packs have a home range, but the size of the range varies depending on habitat and prey.

We91裸聊视频檝e had wolves travel from B.C. down into Montana and Idaho in a matter of weeks, so the young dispersers cover a lot of ground,91裸聊视频� Zeman said.

He said with more cut blocks and more roads built due to the pine beetle devastation, wolf sightings could have increased because wolves utilize roads for faster travel.

Ford said there are a few reasons why hunters are seeing more wolves in the Okanagan, which fall in line with Zeman91裸聊视频檚 theory.

RELATED: Letter: Wolves decimate herds; don91裸聊视频檛 drive economy

91裸聊视频淥ne is they91裸聊视频檙e not in the same spots and maybe it91裸聊视频檚 easier to see them for some reason because they91裸聊视频檙e using roads or open habitat. Another is that they91裸聊视频檙e increasing, wolves like every wildlife species have cycles,91裸聊视频� Ford said.

Ford is currently part of an ongoing study in the Kootenays, driven by concern of the number of wolves in the area.

Using special listening devices, the team monitors wolf calls to determine where the wolves are and how many are in the area.

But the animals remain elusive creatures, as Ford said there91裸聊视频檚 a lot we don91裸聊视频檛 know about them.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 definitely a stigma around them,91裸聊视频� he said, adding people tend to sit on either side of whether to control the population or not. 91裸聊视频淚t probably makes it harder to do good wolf science.91裸聊视频�

Zeman said it91裸聊视频檚 hard to predict whether people will start seeing them in the urban areas.

91裸聊视频淚t revolves around more of people91裸聊视频檚 cats and dogs and cattle getting attacked,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚f you have high quality habitat and you91裸聊视频檙e taking care of the habitat, then predation isn91裸聊视频檛 a huge factor.91裸聊视频�

Typically there isn91裸聊视频檛 a concern for human safety with wolves, Zeman said, and he recommends to keep a yard and property clean so they don91裸聊视频檛 get habituated.

91裸聊视频淚f they get into the garbage chances are they are going to be dead,91裸聊视频� he said.

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