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.

香蕉视频直播淲e may be seeing something that is not really about the Okanagan, but it might be (from) wolves coming in from another place that they香蕉视频直播檙e leaving,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淥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 you香蕉视频直播檙e trying to reduce movement,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淎ll indications are is that we香蕉视频直播檙e seeing more wolves and in parts more grizzly bears as well,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e recolonizing these areas that historically they could have occupied,香蕉视频直播� he said.

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

We香蕉视频直播檝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,香蕉视频直播� 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 Zeman香蕉视频直播檚 theory.

RELATED: Letter: Wolves decimate herds; don香蕉视频直播檛 drive economy

香蕉视频直播淥ne is they香蕉视频直播檙e not in the same spots and maybe it香蕉视频直播檚 easier to see them for some reason because they香蕉视频直播檙e using roads or open habitat. Another is that they香蕉视频直播檙e increasing, wolves like every wildlife species have cycles,香蕉视频直播� 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 there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot we don香蕉视频直播檛 know about them.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 definitely a stigma around them,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding people tend to sit on either side of whether to control the population or not. 香蕉视频直播淚t probably makes it harder to do good wolf science.香蕉视频直播�

Zeman said it香蕉视频直播檚 hard to predict whether people will start seeing them in the urban areas.

香蕉视频直播淚t revolves around more of people香蕉视频直播檚 cats and dogs and cattle getting attacked,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚f you have high quality habitat and you香蕉视频直播檙e taking care of the habitat, then predation isn香蕉视频直播檛 a huge factor.香蕉视频直播�

Typically there isn香蕉视频直播檛 a concern for human safety with wolves, Zeman said, and he recommends to keep a yard and property clean so they don香蕉视频直播檛 get habituated.

香蕉视频直播淚f they get into the garbage chances are they are going to be dead,香蕉视频直播� he said.

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