Wolf attacks on humans - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A wolf attack is an attack on a human by a wolf or wolves. Under normal circumstances, wild wolves are generally timid around humans. Wolves usually try to avoid contact with people, to the point of even abandoning their kills when an approaching human is detected, though there are several reported circumstances in which wolves have been recorded to act aggressively toward humans.

Compared to other carnivorous mammals known to attack humans in general, the frequency with which wolves have been recorded to kill or prey on people

Man-eater

Man-eater is a colloquial term for an animal that preys upon humans. This does not include scavenging. Although human beings can be attacked by many kinds of animals, man-eaters are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet...

is much lower, indicating that though potentially dangerous, wolves are among the least threatening for their size and predatory potential.

Europe

In Scotland, during the reign of James VI, wolves were considered such a threat to travelers that special houses called spittals were erected on the highways for protection. In France alone, historical records indicate that between the years 1580-1830, 3,069 people were killed by wolves, 1,857 of which were non-rabid. Italian records indicate that between the 15th-19th centuries, 440 people were killed by wolves in central Padania

Padania

Padania is an alternative name for the Po Valley in Italy. The term was sparingly used until the early 1990s, when Lega Nord, a political party in Italy, proposed Padania as a possible denomination for an autonomous Northern Italy...

. In Imperial Russia 1890, a document was produced stating that 161 people had been killed by wolves in 1871. During the First World War, starving wolves had amassed in great numbers in Kaunas

Kaunas

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...

, Vilnius

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...

and Minsk

Minsk

- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...

and began attacking Imperial Russian and Imperial German

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

fighting forces, causing the two fighting armies to form a temporary truce to fight off the animals. After the fall of the Soviet Union, documents were discovered indicating that a number of wolf attacks had occurred in villages during the Eastern front

Eastern Front (World War II)

The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...

. This information was apparently suppressed by the Soviet government in order to hide the consequences of the mass confiscation of firearms during the war.

A hypothesis as to why wolves in Eurasia historically acted more aggressively toward humans than those in North America is that in the past, Old World wolf hunting was mostly an activity for the nobility, whereas American wolf hunts were partaken by ordinary citizens, nearly all of them possessing firearms. This difference could have caused American wolves to be more fearful of humans, making them less willing to venture into settled areas.

Nonetheless, with the exception of one attack on a French shepherd in 2001, modern Western Europe has had very few attacks and no recent fatalities due significantly to the near complete lack of wolves in Western Europe. "Lupus", a German group of wildlife biologists, says it has documented 250 encounters between people and wolves in the Lusatia

Lusatia

Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...

region and there were no problems in any of the cases.

North America

Though most Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

tribes revered wolves, their oral history

Oral history

Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...

confirms they were attacked by wolves on occasion, long before the arrival of European settlers. Woodland Indians were usually most at risk, as they would often encounter wolves suddenly, and at close quarters. An old Nunamiut

Nunamiut

The Nunamiut people are a semi-nomadic inland Inupiaq Eskimos located in northern and northwestern Alaska, mostly around the Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, whose ancestors date back hundreds of years.-History:...

hunter, in an interview with author Barry Lopez

Barry Lopez

Barry Holstun Lopez is an American author, essayist, and fiction writer whose work is known for its environmental and social concerns.-Biography:...

, said that wolves used to attack his people, until the introduction of firearms, at which point the attacks ceased.

When settlers began colonizing the continent, they noticed that while local wolves were more numerous than in Europe, they were less aggressive.
In Canada, an Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

newspaper offered a $100 reward for proof of an unprovoked wolf attack on a human. The money was left uncollected. Though Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

considered the large timber wolves of north-western Montana and Washington equal to Northern European wolves in size and strength, he noted they were nonetheless much shyer around man.

In modern times, as humans begin to encroach on wolf habitats more contacts are being recorded. Often the contact is because the person is walking their pet dog, and the wolf pack considers the dog a prey item, inciting an attack. Retired wolf biologist Mark McNay compiled 80 events in Alaska and Canada where wolves closely approached or attacked people, finding 39 cases of aggression by apparently healthy wolves, and 29 cases of fearless behavior by non-aggressive wolves.

Unlike the grey wolf, the red wolf

Red Wolf

The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...

has not been known to attack people. However, packs of red wolves were reported to scavenge on battlefield corpses during the Mexican-American War.

Asia

In the 18th century, Japan experienced an outbreak of wolf attacks due to the spread of rabies from China and Korea.

Traditionally, Hindus have refrained from killing even man-eating wolves, due to the superstition even one drop of wolf blood spilled could result in a bad harvest.
During a 2-year period (1996–1997) in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

, wolves killed or seriously injured 74 humans, mostly children under the age of 10. The attacks were well documented by wolf authorities. One of the worst cases ever recorded occurred in 1878 in British India. During a one year period 624 people were killed by man-eating wolves. A series of guidelines on avoidance of wolf attacks were written by Yadvendradev V. Jhala and Dinesh Kumar Sharma, both of the Wildlife Institute of India

Wildlife Institute of India

The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...

. Vulnerable-aged children, according to Indian researchers, are those between ages 2–10 living in areas where huts are scattered and where vegetation can conceal predators.

Causes and differing types of attack

Attacks due to provocation have occurred, usually involving shepherds defending their flocks, though none recorded fatalities. Unprovoked attacks by non-rabid wolves are rare, but have happened. The majority of victims of unprovoked healthy wolves tend to be women and children. Historically, attacks by healthy wolves tended to be clustered in space and time, indicating that human-killing was not a normal behavior for the average wolf, but rather an atypical behavior that single wolves or packs developed and maintained until they were killed.

Habituation

Habituation

Habituation can be defined as a process or as a procedure. As a process it is defined as a decrease in an elicited behavior resulting from the repeated presentation of an eliciting stimulus...

is a known factor contributing to some wolf attacks which results from living in close proximity to human habitations, which can cause wolves to lose their fear of humans and consequently approach too closely, much like urban coyotes. Habituation can also happen when people intentionally encourage wolves to come up to them, usually by offering food, or unintentionally, when people do not sufficiently intimidate them. This is corroborated by accounts demonstrating that wolves in protected areas are more likely to show boldness toward humans, than ones in areas where they are actively hunted.

Hybridization between wolves and domestic dogs is thought to result in animals which though possessing the predatory instincts of wolves, show a dog-like lack of timidity toward humans.

The majority of fatal wolf attacks have historically involved rabies

Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...

, which was first recorded in wolves in the 13th century. Though wolves are not reservoirs for the disease, they can catch it from other species. Wolves develop an exceptionally severe aggressive state when infected and can bite numerous people in a single attack. Before a vaccine was developed, bites were almost always fatal. Today, wolf bites can be treated, but the severity of rabid wolf attacks can sometimes result in outright death, or a bite near the head will make the disease act too fast for the treatment to take effect. Unlike healthy wolves which typically limit themselves to attacking women or children, attacks by rabid wolves are made at random, with adult men being killed on occasion. Rabid attacks tend to cluster in winter and spring. With the reduction of rabies in Europe and North America, few rabid wolf attacks have been recorded, though some still occur annually in the Middle East. Rabid attacks can be distinguished from predatory attacks by the fact that rabid wolves limit themselves to biting their victims rather than consuming them. Plus, the timespan of predatory attacks can sometimes last for months or years, as opposed to rabid attacks which end usually after a fortnight.
Much like some big cats, old or crippled wolves unable to tackle their normal prey have also been recorded to attack humans.

Attack patterns and methods of attack

A recent Fennoscandia

Fennoscandia

Fennoscandia and Fenno-Scandinavia are geographic and geological terms used to describe the Scandinavian Peninsula, the Kola Peninsula, Karelia and Finland...

n study on historical wolf attacks occurring in the 18th–19th centuries indicated that victims were almost entirely children under the age of 12, with 85% of the attacks occurring when no adults were present. In the few cases in which an adult was killed, it was almost always a woman. In nearly all cases, only a single victim was injured in each attack, although the victim was with two or three other people in a few cases. This contrasts dramatically with the pattern seen in attacks by rabid wolves, where up to 40 people can be bitten in the same attack. Some recorded attacks occurred over a period of months or even years, making the likelihood of rabies infected perpetrators unlikely, considering that death usually occurs within two to 10 days after the initial symptoms. Records from the former Soviet Union indicate that the largest number of attacks on children occurred in summer during July and August, the period when female wolves begin feeding their cubs solid food. Sharp falls in the frequency of attacks were noted in the Autumn months of September and October, coinciding with drops in temperature which caused most children to remain indoors for longer periods.

People who corner or attack wolves typically receive quick bites to the hands or feet, though the attack is usually not pressed. In both rabid and predatory attacks, victims are usually attacked around the head and neck in a sustained manner, though healthy wolves rarely attack frontally, having been shown to prefer to attack from behind. Some specialised man-eaters have been recorded to kill children by knocking them over from behind and biting the back of their heads and necks. The body of a victim of a healthy wolf is often dragged off and consumed unless disturbed.

Seven stages leading to predatory attacks

Ethologist Doctor Valerius Geist of the University of Calgary, Alberta outlined seven hypothetical stages which lead to wolf attacks on humans based on historical and modern accounts.

The first outlined stage is scarcity of wild game, be it due to poaching, habitat loss or seasonal migration.
Wolves begin approaching human habitations, though limit their visits to nocturnal hours. Their presence is usually established by barking matches with local dogs.
After a certain amount of time, wolves begin to frequent human habitations in daylight hours, and observe people and livestock at a distance.
The wolves begin acting bolder by attacking small livestock and pets during daylight, sometimes pursuing their prey up to verandas. At this point the wolves do not focus on humans, but will growl and act threateningly toward them.
The wolves begin attacking large-bodied livestock and may follow riders, as well as mount verandas and look into windows.
People begin to be harassed, usually in a playful manner. The wolves will chase people over short distances and nip at them, though will retreat if confronted.
Wolves begin attacking people in predatory fashions.

List of fatal wolf attacks

This is a list of known fatal wolf attacks worldwide by century in reverse chronological order. Attacks which occurred in the 21st century are listed by decade.

2010s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, comments
Candice Berner, 32, female	March 8, 2010 (discovered)	Berner, a teacher and avid jogger, was found dead along a road near Chignik Lake, Alaska Chignik Lake, Alaska Chignik Lake is a census-designated place in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 145.-Geography:Chignik Lake is located at .... , a village about 475 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States... . Snowmobilers found her mutilated body with wolf tracks in the adjacent snow. The Alaska State Medical Examiner ruled that her death was caused by "multiple injuries due to animal mauling."

2000s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, comments
Security guard, Vladimir Paschkov, 40	6:00 am, February 18, 2009	Village of Siklyatz Duvanskogo, Urals. Paschkov was surprised by the wolf on a haystack in a dairy farm and attacked. Three women and another man rushed in with pitchforks and a shovel, and all were injured by the wolf. Paschkov bled to death, while the others were treated for injuries in hospital.
Woman	February 10, 2009	Village of Giorgitsminda, about 40 kilometres from Tbilisi Tbilisi Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936... , Georgia Georgia (country) Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... .
10-year old boy	January 10, 2009	Village of Zavod-Kyn in the administrative district of Lysjvensk in Perm region, Russia.
8-year old boy	April 6, 2006	Nakhodka Nakhodka Nakhodka is a port city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, situated on the Trudny Peninsula jutting into the Nakhodka Bay of the Sea of Japan, about east of Vladivostok... , Eastern Russia. Two eight-year-old boys had approached the wolf enclosure in the Nakhodka Zoo, with one boy stretching out his hand to stroke the animals. One wolf bit the boy, and another seized hold of his leg. Although the child escaped, he died early the next morning.
Kenton Joel Carnegie, 22, male	November 8, 2005	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan... . Carnegie had gone for a walk and didn't return to the surveyors' camp where he was working. His body was found partially consumed in an area known to be frequented by four wolves which regularly fed on human refuse. The pathologist who performed the autopsy, testified Carnegie had lost about 25% to 30% of his body mass in the attack, with the top midsection to the thigh having been partially consumed. Although originally the possibility that the culprit was an American Black Bear American black bear The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in... was not ruled out, a coroners' jury concluded after a two year inquiry that the attackers had indeed been wolves.
Two people	2005	Khost province, Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... . Occurred during what was considered the worst Afghan Winter in over a decade.
Four people	2005	Naka, Paktia province, Afghanistan Afghanistan Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world... . Two victims were killed during trips to other villages.
Two people	Early February, 2005	Muinak district, western Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south.... .
Homeless man	January 2, 2005	Village of Vali-Asr, near the town of Torbat Heydariya, northeastern Iran Iran Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia... . Wolves entering the village seeking refuge from harsh weather attacked an elderly homeless man in front of witnesses. Those witnessing the incident attempted to fight off the wolves, while waiting for police assistance. Police intervention never came, and the victim died.
Three people	Winter, 2003	Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups... , Russia.
Three shepherds	Winter, 2003	Sredneakhtubinsk district, Russia.

1900s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, comments
Anand Kumar, 4, male	1996	Banbirpur, India. The wolf attacked Kumar whilst he, his two siblings and his mother were using the open ground for their toilet. When a police search party found the boy three days later, half a mile away, all that remained was his head.
60 mostly prepubescent children	1996–1997	Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity... , India.
Patricia Wyman, 24, female	April 18, 1996	Haliburton Haliburton County, Ontario Haliburton is a county of Ontario, Canada, known as a tourist and cottage area in Central Ontario for its scenery and for its resident artists. Minden Hills is the county seat. Haliburton County was established in 1983, but had existed as the Provisional County of Haliburton since 1874... , Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... . Ms. Wyman had been hired as a new caretaker of the wolves at the Haliburton forest and wildlife preserve. The 5 wolves involved in the attack had been raised in captivity all their lives, but had never been socialized with humans.
Michael Amosov, 60, male	February 21, 1996	Hamlet of Bolonitza, Zadrach, Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... . Amosov disappeared whilst walking to Bolonitza from Zadrach through a forest. A search party followed his tracks and found an area of churned, bloodied snow surrounded by multiple wolf tracks.
Woodcutter, 55, male	December, 1995	Hvoschono, Belarus. Disappeared whilst working in a nearby forest. Two days later, a search party found his remains surrounded by wolf tracks.
9-year old schoolgirl	December, 1995	Usviatyda, Belarus. Disappeared whilst walking home from school. Her father searched for her and found her head surrounded by bloodied snow covered in wolf tracks.
Unidentified female	October, 1995	Village south of Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... , Russia. The woman was working on a cornfield, when the rabid female wolf attacked and bit her throat.
Unidentified person	1995	Russian part of Karelia Karelia Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden... .
60 children	April 1993-April 1995	Bihar Bihar Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.... State, India. All the children were taken from settlements primarily during March to August between 17.00 and 19.00 hrs. There were more female victims (58%) than males and 89% were 3-11-yrs old. Of the 80 child casualties, only 20 were rescued.
Alyshia Berzyck, 3, female	June 3, 1989	Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... . Killed by a pet wolf on a chain.
17 prepubescent children	1986	Ashta Ashta Ashta is a city and a municipality in Sehore district in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.-Geography:Ashta is located at . It has an average elevation of 519 metres .... , India. Known as the Wolves of Ashta Wolves of Ashta The wolves of Ashta were a pack of 6 man-eating Indian wolves which between the last quarter of 1985 to January 1986, killed 17 children in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. The pack consisted of two adult males, one adult female, one subadult female and two cubs... .
Unidentified woman	June 29, 1982	Near Dubrovna, Belarus Belarus Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... . Bitten to death on the face, arms and legs by a rabid wolf.
13 children, aged 4–10 years	February-August 1981	Hazaribagh Hazaribagh Hazaribagh is a city and a municipality in Hazaribagh district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is the divisional headquarters of North Chotanagpur division. It is famous as a health resort and for Hazaribagh National Park .... in the eastern Indian district of Bihar Bihar Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.... . Known as the Wolves of Hazaribagh Wolves of Hazaribagh The Wolves of Hazaribagh were a pack of five man-eating Indian wolves which between February and August 1981, killed 13 children aged from 4 to 10 years. Their hunting range was 2.7 square miles around the town of Hazaribagh in the eastern Indian district of Bihar... .
Child, 2, male	1981	Ft. Wayne, Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... . Lone wolf kept as a pet.
Elderly woman	Late August, 1979	Death occurred in Sinezerka.
Unknown child	1978	Wheatland Wheatland, Wyoming Wheatland is a town in and the county seat of Platte County in southeastern Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,548 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wheatland is located at .... , Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... . Lone wolf kept as a pet.
B. Mashakova	March 30, 1972	Chelkarskij region, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe... . Rabid wolf.
4 children	1957-74	Spain.
Vitali Ushtinov, 5 years old	July 11, 1952	1 km from Village of Karmanov. Vitali was attacked whilst picking berries and dragged into the forest.
10-year old girl	April 29, 1951	Near the village of Tarasovok, Orichevskij region. The girl was killed by a wolf whilst bathing in a creek with a friend.
1 boy and 3 girls aged 3–6 years	July-August, 1950	Lebyazhskij region.
Svetlana Tueva	November 17, 1948	Unspecified Soviet province. Svetlana was attacked by five wolves when she and her friends were walking home from school. The wolves dragged her a kilometre into the forest. All that was found was an overcoat.
9 children aged 7–12 years	July-August 1948	Darovskij region.
Veniamina Fokina, 13 years old	1947	Village of Rusanov, Khalturinskij region.
Anna Mikheeva, 16 years old	1947	Village of Chernyabevij, Khalturinskij region. Wolves attacked Anna and her mother, killing the former and dragging her into a forest. She was found partially eaten and with a broken neck.
Pimma Molchanova, 5 years old	May 8, 1945	Village of Shilyavo, Kirovskaya Oblast, Russia. Pimma was washing goloshas in a stream with a 7-year old friend, when a wolf caught her and her friend's screaming alerted the villagers. Her body was found 500 metres away. The wolf had bitten through her throat and eaten her thigh muscles.
Maria Berdnikova, 17 years old	29 April 1945	Village of Golodaevshchina, Kirovskaya Oblast. Maria and her sister were working 50 meters from a cattle yard near a mansion. The wolf grabbed her by the throat and carried her off, followed by peasants. The wolf scaled a 1-meter fence and dropped its victim 200 meters into the forest.
36 children	1944-63	Kirov Kirov, Kirov Oblast Kirov , formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov, is a city in northeastern European Russia, on the Vyatka River, and the administrative center of Kirov Oblast. Population: -History:... region, Russia.
Maria Polyakova, 16 years old	November 19, 1944	B. Ramenskij, Kirovskaya Oblast. Two wolves killed her whilst on the way to work.
Musinova Tamara, 14 years old	November 12, 1944	Kirovskaya Oblast. Nine wolves involved.
Perfilova, 8 years old	November 6, 1944	Kirovskaya Oblast. Killed and eaten by a wolf pack on the road to a collective farm.
Valya Starikova, 13 years old	September 21, 1944	Village of Goldaevshchina, Kirovskaya Oblast. The wolf carried her into a forest. Only pieces of her shoes were found.
5 children	1937	Poland.
95 people	1926	Districts of Bareilly and Pilibhit, United Provinces, India.
10 people	1924	Kirov. Perpetrators were two rabid wolves.
Trapper and two Natives	1922	Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... . When a trapper did not return to the post office as promised, two natives were sent to find him. All three were killed by wolves.
Ben Cochrum	April, 1922	Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... . Fisher river on Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg... . The victim's bones were found on April 17 among the remains of 11 wolves. Seven had been shot and four clubbed to death. Only when his rifle stock smashed did the trapper cease to fight and succumb to the wolf pack.
James Smith	March 4, 1910	Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two... . Wolves attacked him whilst he was alone in a wood, waiting for the return of his brother. When the latter returned he found his brother's bones. In the center of a circle of five dead wolves, was an empty repeating rifle, showing that he had been overpowered before he could reload his weapon.

1800s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, Comments
203 people	1889	European sector of Russian Empire Russian Empire The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union... .
Father and son, family name Olson	March 7, 1888	New Rockford, North Dakota North Dakota North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S.... . The two men started towards a haystack a few yards from the house to shovel a path around the stack when they were surrounded by a pack and devoured alive.
1445 people	1870–1887	European sector of Russian Empire.
22 children	1880–1881	Turku Turku Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland... , Southwest Finland. Three wolves Wolves of Turku The Wolves of Turku were a trio of man-eating wolves which between 1880–81, killed 22 children in Turku, Finland. The average ageof the victims of these wolves was 5.9 years. Their depredations caused such concern that the local and national government became involved, calling help from Russian and... involved. In January, 1882, a female wolf was shot and 12 days later a male wolf poisoned, which brought the attacks to an end. Finnish conservation groups, such as the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, claimed the animals were wolf-dog hybrids. An examination of the taxidermied specimens showed that they were pure wolves.
Boy	1882	Sortavala, Karelia Karelia Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden... .
8-year old boy	1880	Uusikirkko, Karelia Karelia Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden... .
624 people	1878	British India.
9 children	1877	Tampere Tampere Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in... , Southwest Finland. More than one wolf involved.
721 people	1875	North-Western Province and Bihar State, British India.
161 people	1871	Imperial Russia. The document stating this however, was produced in 1890.
12-year old girl	1859	Eurajoki Eurajoki Eurajoki is a municipality of Finland located in the region of Satakunta in the province of Western Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .... , Southwest Finland.
14 people	1851	Lorges Forest, France. A rabid wolf ran amok for 45 kilometres (28 mi) in seven hours, through nine villages, biting 41 people of whom 14 subsequently died of rabies. The wolf also bit nearly 100 animals and many presumably died from rabies too.
266 adults, 110 children	1849–1851	European sector of Russian Empire.
20 children, one adult	1839–1850	Karelia Karelia Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden... . Unknown number of wolves.
3 children	1836	Kemiö, Southwest Finland. More than one wolf involved.
13 people	July 1833	Green River Green River (Utah) The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing... , western Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... , perpetrated by a rabid white wolf.
8 children, 1 woman	January 1831, Summer 1832	Karelia Karelia Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden... . Thought to have been a single animal.
Unknown African American, male	1830	Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... , near the Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... border. While traveling through a heavily forested area, two African Americans were attacked by a pack of wolves. Using their axes, they attempted to fight off the wolves. Both men were knocked to the ground and severely wounded. One man was killed. The other dropped his axe and escaped up a tree. There he spent the night. The next morning the man climbed down from the tree. The bones of his friend lay scattered on the snow. Three wolves lay dead.
Innuit woman	1829	Strangled by a wolf as her husband rushed to her assistance.
Aleksei Moiseev, 8 years old	1823	Village of Alakurskij. Aleksei went outside his village with some friends and was attacked by a lone wolf. Peasants intervened too late.
Petr Pitka, 3 years old	May, 1823	Village of Bolshie, Tuganitsy. The boy left his hut with his sister at dinner time. His four year old sister returned home, saying that her brother had been carried off by a wolf. His remains were discovered on June 2, in a haymaking field outside the village.
11 children between 3.5–15 years of age and one 19 year old woman	30 December 1820, 27 March 1821	Border between Dalarna Dalarna ', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States.... and Gästrikland Gästrikland ' is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Uppland, Västmanland, Dalarna, Hälsingland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Gästrikland is the southernmost of the Norrland provinces.... . The wolf had been captured as a pup and raised in captivity for 3–4 years, before released prior to the attacks. Known as the Wolf of Gysinge Wolf of Gysinge The Wolf of Gysinge was a man-eating wolf which, in three months, attacked and killed many children in Gysinge near central Sweden in the early 1820s.-Attacks:... .
111 people	1804–1853	Non rabid wolves killed 111 people in Estonia, of which 108 were children, 2 were men and 1 woman.
6-8 year old girl	28 December 1800	Akershus county, Southern Norway.

1700s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, Comments
Sick Native Americans	1770	Wolves entered Indian camps to eat corpses of smallpox victims. They also attacked and killed the sick.
Ninety-nine people	1763–1767	Gévaudan Gévaudan Gévaudan is a historical area of France, nowadays situated in Lozère département. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe subordinate to the Arverni.- History :... , Auvergne Auvergne (région) Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not... , Languedoc Languedoc Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional... ; France. Beast of Gévaudan Beast of Gévaudan The Beast of Gévaudan is a name given to man-eating wolf-like animals alleged to have terrorized the former province of Gévaudan , in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France from 1764 to 1767 over an area stretching . The beasts were consistently described by eyewitnesses as having... and whelps.
Four people	January, 1765	Soissons Soissons Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones... northeast of Paris. Known as the Wolf of Soissons Wolf of Soissons The Wolf of Soissons was a man-eating wolf which terrorized the commune of Soissons northeast of Paris over a period of two days in 1765, attacking eighteen people, four of whom died from their wounds.... .
Nils Nisson, 8, male	January, 1763	Hova Parish, Vastergotland County, Sweden. Lone wolf.
Farmer named Shōzaemon	February 1762	Japan. Killed a rabid wolf in self defence, but died 2 months later from the disease.
8 people	1750	Yuatsumi village, Japan. Perpetrators were 3 rabid wolves.
Borta Johansdotter, 12, female	3 August 1731	Steneby parish, Dalsland County, Sweden.
Jon Ersson, 9, male	6 January 1728	Boda Parish, Varmland County Värmland County Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :... , Sweden. Probably killed by same wolf as below.
Jon Svensson, 4.5, male	17 December 1727	Boda Parish, Varmland County Värmland County Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :... , Sweden. Mauled and partially eaten by lone wolf.
Annunciata Maria Almasio, 7, female	September 9, 1705	Rebaù, Gorla Maggiore, Northern Italy.
Maria Campascina, 65, female	August 28, 1705	Viggiù, Northern Italy.
Anna Maria, 9, female	March, 1705	Viggiù, Northern Italy.
Six-year old child	September 17, 1704	Gorla Maggiore, Northern Italy.
16 people	1704	Varesotto, Northern Italy.

Pre-1700s

Name, age, gender	\|Location, Comments
40 people	Winter, 1450	Paris, France. Known as the Wolves of Paris Wolves of Paris The Wolves of Paris were a man-eating wolf pack that entered Paris during the winter of 1450 through breaches in the city walls, killing forty people. A wolf named Courtaud, or "Bobtail", was the leader of the pack... .
3 women	957	Gakkan', Hokucho, Japan.
1 person	886	Kamo Shrine, Japan.
13-year old child	851	Japan. The attack occurred within the house of a Shinto Shinto or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written... priest.
Mempricius Mempricius Mempricius was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of King Maddan and brother of Malin.-War:...	980 BC	Great Britain Great Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... . Killed by a wolf pack whilst on a hunting expedition

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