To draw attention to the B.C. government乌鸦传媒檚 controversial wolf cull 乌鸦传媒� now entering its second decade and aimed at protecting endangered caribou 乌鸦传媒� Pacific Wild is launching a 乌鸦传媒楤rutal British Columbia Souvenir Shop乌鸦传媒� in Victoria on Aug. 1.
Natasha Wehn, project director at Pacific Wild, said that the 633 Courtney Street pop-up is part of a new campaign following the organization exhausting other options.
"The wolf cull began in 2015. In the decade since, we乌鸦传媒檝e delivered over 500,000 signatures to the Legislature demanding an end to the slaughter. We乌鸦传媒檝e met with key decision makers, attended countless government-led caribou recovery meetings, and consistently challenged government claims with science. We乌鸦传媒檝e mobilized widespread media attention乌鸦传媒� including support from well-known public figures 乌鸦传媒� and launched multiple high-impact ad campaigns ... We乌鸦传媒檝e also brought legal actions, and compiled extensive scientificresearch that calls into question both the ethics and effectiveness of the wolf cull."
Pacific Wild's aim with the pop-up is to highlight the risks the controversial wolf cull poses to B.C.'s reputation as a place where wildlife thrives, and how failing to protect the province's wild legacy threatens tourism, one of the province's strongest economic sectors.
"The image of 'Beautiful British Columbia' masks a brutal truth乌鸦传媒攐ne which we are exposing in this souvenir shop," Wehn said.
The shop will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 1. Messengers in wolf masks will offer souvenirs that give voice to the "ongoing crisis" and educate both locals and tourists on the wolf cull.
B.C. government argues wolf cull is effective, Pacific Wild calls it 'smokescreen' for habitat loss
Since 2015, the cull has resulted in the killing of 2,543 wolves, and over $10 million in public funds has been spent on the cull.
The B.C. government, on a 2017 fact sheet, says that Mountain Caribou are at risk of extinction, with 98 per cent of the population in B.C.
Since 1991, B.C.'s caribou populations have decreased by 51 per cent.
Sitting at a population of 1,500 in 2017, the caribou's threats to survival are loss of habitat and wolf predation, the government says. The wolf population in B.C. is "stable to increasing" with an estimated median population of 8,500.
The government also maintains that evidence indicates wolves are the leading cause of mortality in certain herds, and that the removal of wolves appears to have increased survival rates for calves in the South Peace treatment area.
Pacific Wild argues that there is "mounting evidence that killing wolves does not offer a long-term solution for endangered caribou," emphasizing that lichen-rich old-growth habitat loss to industry is a greater threat.
Wehn called the government's approach a "smokescreen for ongoing ecosystem destruction", pointing to the fact that seven southern mountain caribou herds have become locally extinct since governments were tasked with their recovery.
"Critical habitat continues to be logged and fragmented, while wolves are gunned down from helicopters year after year," Wehn said.
Hundreds of wolves are killed each year via Judas wolves, who are radio-collared and then chased by helicopters that are led to their dens, where contractors use semi-automatic rifles to kill entire packs.
FOI documents obtained by Pacific Wild reveal that, between January and March 2024, 34 packs of wolves were eradicated from the B.C. landscape.
"Wolves are incredibly intelligent, social animals, and their families are being ripped apart," Wehn said.
Pacific Wild also asserts that wolves are a keystone species, playing a vital role in the ecosystem.
Studies support the idea that top predators like wolves may play a crucial role in ecosystem health 乌鸦传媒� not just by controlling herbivore numbers, but also by potentially curbing disease spread by culling the weak or infected.
Newly appointed Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship says she would like to see 'further discussion'
Pacific Wild has met with both the current and previous Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to discuss their concerns. Wehn said that the current minister, Randene Neill, told Pacific Wild she would like to see further discussion now that the cull is at a 10-year point.
Victoria News reached out to Neill but did not receive a response by the deadline.
Pacific Wild has also requested meetings with the Minister of Forestry and the Minister of Tourism.
Wehn said there have been some signs of what she calls "positive change". Nearly 200,000 hectares of land, including caribou habitat, were protected in the 2024 expansion of Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park. Then, in May, BC Timber Sales announced a pause in pursuing 乌鸦传媒渘ew investments乌鸦传媒� in the unprotected core caribou habitat of the Columbia North herd.
The Boreal Caribou Protection and Recovery Plan, co-developed by the B.C. government, Fort Nelson First Nation, and Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, also announced six new wildlife habitat areas and the temporary suspension of new petroleum or natural gas exploration permits in designated Resource Review Areas.
In 2025, the B.C. government acknowledged that a "growing body of research" indicates a "strong relationship" between habitat disturbance and declining caribou populations. The shrinkage of habitat also subsequently increases primary prey and predator populations.
The government also said predator reduction is considered for specific herds when predation has been "identified as a barrier to effective recovery."
Wehn said Pacific Wild is still pushing for transparency about why the program continues and that the pop-up is the start of a global campaign with more to come August 13 乌鸦传媒� International Wolf Day.
