Outfitter accidentally uses photo of famous wolf on his site, gets threats

A British Columbia hunting company is facing international outrage after the web developer it hired to build its website used photos of a famous wolf on the page describing its wolf hunting services.

Terminus Mountain Outfitters offers hunts for elk, rock sheep, moose and mountain goats, along with a variety of combo hunts. Until the controversy erupted, they also offered guided wolf hunts on their website. But that page was taken down after wildlife photographer Cheryl Alexander found her photo of “Takaya,” a coastal wolf that became globally popular in the 2010s, posted on the website, The guard reports.

“[A web design company] chose some live photos of wild animals to use on the [website]”, said the owner of Terminus The guard. (A man named Craig Kiselbach is listed as the owner on Terminus’ website.) “On July 27th, I was contacted by a disgruntled individual who was upset about a photo of a wolf that he recognized as a wolf named Takaya. I had no idea of ​​the story behind this wolf or even which of the three photos on my website was Takaya’s. I asked my web developer … to simply remove all three photos. On July 29th, they were removed. Neither I nor my web developer wanted to offend anyone.”

Even after the photos were removed, the fallout for the gear store continued.

“Unfortunately, due to the media attention, we are now receiving emails that are threatening and quite angry, while we have nothing to do with the chosen live images. We are a legal family business.”

Takaya was a coastal wolf that lived on and around the small western islands of British Columbia. Members of the Songhees First Nations, who inhabit Victoria Island and surrounding smaller islands, gave the wolf its name. It means “wolf” in their Lekwungen language. A few hundred coastal wolves live on and around Victoria and Vancouver Island and feed on salmon, shellfish, seals, and other marine protein sources.

Takaya attracted a great deal of attention when researchers realized that he was living alone on the small islands. As with the life and death of a California cougar known as P-22, the public anthropomorphized the wolf, turning it into a symbol of survival and solitude. Tourists began flocking to the islands in hopes of catching a glimpse of the wolf. One couple ignored the island’s rules and brought their dogs with them, leading to an emergency when another wolf began following them. One such close observer was Alexander, who photographed and filmed Takaya up close, even admitting to an article until at one point coming within a meter of the wolf – an encounter that any biologist would consider far too close for the safety of either party.

Stay at least 100 meters away when viewing or photographing [wolves]“the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife writes on his website“Wolves are wary of people; but they can lose their fear of people when they become accustomed to them.”

Takaya ended up on the Vancouver mainland in January 2020, navigating the densely populated urban area. Conservation officers tranquilized him and moved him to the west coast of Vancouver Island, a rugged area more than 100 miles from the island where the wolf lived. A hunter killed Takaya in March 2020 when the wolf approached his dogs, sparking outrage. That outrage was reignited when Alexander’s photos recently surfaced on Terminus’ website.

read more: Colorado Gives Green Light to Lethal Management of Gray Wolves, Under Certain Conditions

Some 8,500 wolves live in British Columbia. They are not a protected species and are subject to liberal hunting regulations. The British Columbia government has spent more than $10 million on aerial shooting since 2014 as part of the caribou recovery program, CBC reports.