After an investigation into the death of a re-located wolf the BC Conservation Service says the hunter did nothing wrong.
Inspector Ben York is the officer in charge of the west coast region:
" We did quite an exhaustive investigation and basically found that there was no violation whatsoever. The animal was hunted, and legally killed."
But the unceremonious end to the wolf's life continues to haunt Songhees Chief Ron Sam:
" You know, and I struggle with it to this day to be honest."
The wolf -- dubbed Staqeya, meaning wolf -- was special to his people, as he showed up after their longtime Chief Robert Sam passed on. Many saw it as a sign their former chief was still with them.
Staqeya's mystique only grew when he chose to make Discovery Island his home, swimming over, and living off seals and other marine life for 8 years.
But when he was spotted wandering the streets of James bay in January, Conservation, in consultation with biologists, decided to relocate the wolf to an area outside Port Renfrew.
Sam wishes he had been consulted. He simply got a courtesy call as the wofl was already on his way up island:
" You know, just personally, myself, I wasn't happy with the outcome. I was more or less guaranteed that he was being moved to a safer, better location for him to live out the rest of his life. And that's not what happened. So, pretty upsetting."
8 weeks later, Staqeya was dead -- shot by a trophy hunter -- skinned, his head and feet removed, and taken to a taxidermist. Again, Inspector Ben York:
"As long as the person is licensed, they are in a lawful area during open season, and a bunch of other different regulations are met, then it's a legal hunt."
Sam did not know it was open hunting season, and wolves were legal to target in the area. He says had he known -- he would have insisted conservation officers turn the truck around and return the wolf to his chosen home:
" Just being involved in that phone call, and again, I just look at it from the perspective of supposedly going to a better environment. And that's not what happened, so, it's hard."
He was also upset to hear Staqeya was killed as a trophy:
" Yeah. He was sent to a taxidermist, and you know and unfortunately now he's in several different peices, I guess you could say for lack of better words."
But Sam credits the Province with setting up a meeting with the hunter -- who listened to why the Songhees treasured Staqeya and wanted his remains back:
" You know and I personally got to meet the young hunter. You know, and I'm glad that he gave me the time to meet face to face, and you know, really put our point of view across in regards to Staqeya, and the remains. And, you know, this young hunter respected our position and the way we viewed Staqeya. You know that's what really helped the young hunter realize the importance of Staqeya, and returned everything back to Songhees Nation.
Meantime Conservation continues to maintain the decision to release Staqeya to a more natural wolf habitat was made in the animal's best interest, maintaining he left Discovery Island for a reason. No one really knows why, and some say he often swam, and may have gone back had he had the chance.
But a necropsy showed Staqeya, was hunting well in his new territory -- and had recently killed and eaten a beaver:
" Yeah, it's very easy to speculate on how he would have done if we had put him somewhere else other than where we did. But the necropsy on him showed that he was doing quite well where he was, and was actively feeding on natural food sources."
The necropsy also showed Staqeya, had 10 broken ribs -- it's not know how that happened -- but he was healing. But some believe the wolf was actually trying to get back home when he was shot -- as he was abmore than hald half to Victoria when he was shot near Shawnigan Lake. We will never know :
" You know we have hunters in our community, but not trophy hunters."
But Chief Ron Sam says now that he knows wolves can be hunted on the island -- he is not in favour -- and wants it stopped:
" You know I've had a couple of conversations throughout this whole thing, you know personal phone calls by a few different provincial ministers. So I think I stressed that more than once or twice, that maybe we should be taking a look at that. Yeah, I will continue to push that discussiomn forward."
The nation is planning a special ceremony for the wolf that meant so much to so many -- but Sam says details will be kept private -- it will not be open to the public.