British Columbia

Wolf missing from Greater Vancouver Zoo found safe, returned to pack

The Greater Vancouver Zoo says the discovery of the one-year-old canine known as Tempest puts an end to a three-day search and rescue operation.

1-year-old wolf named Tempest located after 3-day search effort, zoo says

A sign saying Greater Vancouver Zoo over wooden framing and security barriers at the entrance to the zoo.
The entrance to the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove, which is set to reopen Saturday. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

A wolf missing from a British Columbia zoo has been found safe and returned to its pack.

In a statement on Friday, the Greater Vancouver Zoo says the discovery of the one-year-old canine known as Tempest puts an end to a three-day search and rescue operation.

Nine wolves had escaped their enclosure earlier this week after the perimeter fence was deliberately cut, the zoo said.

One of the animals, a three-year-old female wolf called Chia, was found dead on a nearby roadside. The zoo said all others have now been accounted for.

The zoo has not said where Tempest was found and did not elaborate on her condition.

A woman at a microphone closes her eyes in an emotional moment.
The zoo's deputy general manager Menita Prasad tearfully told a news conference on Aug. 18, 2022, that searchers were 'heartbroken' to find one of the escaped wolves, a three-year-old female, dead by the side of 264 Street in Aldergrove. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

Menita Prasad, the zoo's deputy general manager, said Thursday that nine wolves escaped after a perimeter fence and their enclosure were deliberately "compromised.''

Workers and conservation officers began searching for the wolves after the escape was discovered Tuesday morning. The RCMP is investigating the incident as a suspected case of unlawful entry and vandalism.

The zoo in the Aldergrove community of Langley, B.C., is set to reopen Saturday.

"The public will now be able to see Tempest re-united with her family," the statement said.

"We are so grateful for this positive outcome for Tempest but are still processing the loss of Chia."

With files from CBC News