Takaya was a wolf that, for a long time, called Discovery Island and the Chatham Islands home, just off the shores of Oak Bay.
The wolf had swam out there and lived solitarily for over eight years, much to the surprise of scientists who study the behaviour of wolves.
While living on these islands, a wildlife naturalist and photographer, Cheryl Alexander, rigorously studied Takaya with the permission of the Songhees Nation who controlled most of the wolf’s habitat.
Because of her work, Takaya became famous and was the subject of the CBC’s The Nature of Things, a 2019 documentary called Takaya: Lone Wolf as well as a book by the same name.
After living on the islands for eight years, Takaya swam back to the mainland and was found on the streets of James Bay, so he was tranquilized and relocated to an undisclosed location of Vancouver Island.
However, in March 2020 Takaya was killed by a trophy hunter near Shawnigan Lake.
This caused a massive uproar and a nation-wide call for change to trophy hunting laws across Canada.
According to the Humane Society International, Canada is considered the leading exporter in mammalian hunting trophies and a recent study from BC-based Research Co. found that 84% of Canadians oppose trophy hunting.
Alexander started a non-profit to advocate for such a change called Takaya’s Legacy, but currently trophy hunting remains legal.
The most recent grievance for Alexander, and those who followed the Takaya story, was the use of an image she took of the wolf on a BC-based trophy hunting guide’s website.
The image was being used in order to lure hunters to the island to trophy hunt for wolves.
Alexander says this company, Terminus Mountain Outfitters, lure wolves with bait and howlers.
She also says they’re affiliated with pro-trophy hunting organizations, including the American lobby group, Safari Club International and the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia.
“I am horrified and disgusted that my iconic image of Takaya is being used to encourage people to come to BC to kill wolves,” said Alexander.
“Wolves do not have the same legal protections that even animals like cats and dogs have. Killing wild animals for fun isn’t an illegal criminal action in Canada, but it should be. People will continue to kill for trophies unless the laws and government regulations change.”
(More below)
Terminus Mountain Outfitters has recently removed the picture of Takaya.
According to Alexander, trophy hunting guide outfitters in British Columbia charge on average approximately $6,200 to $13,500 for a wolf hunt.
Additionally, she says hunters are told they will be able to kill numerous wolves with different fur colours for that price.
A report from BC’s Big Game Harvest Statistics from 2013 to 2022 shows that an average of 827 wolves are hunted in British Columbia every year.
Now, Alexander simply wants to advocate for more restrictive laws in BC and Canada to put an end to unnecessary big game hunting and trophy hunting.
