The Dream Job That Ended in Tragedy
A young biologist's passion for wolves ended in unimaginable horror when she was torn apart by the very pack she was hired to care for at a Canadian wildlife sanctuary.
Patricia Wyman, a 24-year-old newly graduated biologist, had just begun what she considered her dream job at the Haliburton Forest Wolf Centre Sanctuary in Canada when the fatal incident occurred in April 1996.
A Fatal Misstep
The sanctuary maintained its wolf pack in conditions as close to wild as possible, with human contact limited primarily to feeding times. Patricia had been introduced to the enclosure on her first day and shown feeding procedures.
On her second day, she performed feeding duties alone and reportedly noticed the alpha wolf watching her movements closely. She mentioned this observation to her fiancé that evening but didn't raise concerns with sanctuary staff.
Tragically, on April 18, 1996, for reasons that remain unexplained, Patricia entered the wolf enclosure alone. According to wolf biologist Erich Klinghammer, who investigated the incident, unlocking the main gate would have immediately alerted the wolves to her presence.
The Attack and Aftermath
The terrain within the enclosure contained numerous fallen trees and branches, and investigators believe Patricia may have tripped, triggering the wolves' predatory instincts. With each wolf weighing up to 80kg, the entire pack likely joined the attack, leaving her no chance of escape.
Two horrified employees discovered Patricia's body that afternoon and immediately contacted police. Officers arrived to find wolves standing guard over her remains and had to fire warning shots before calling for backup.
Eventually, six officers managed to recover her body. The scene was gruesome - her clothing had been torn off and she sustained multiple bite wounds across her entire body.
Following the investigation, a coroner ruled that the wolves should be euthanised. Klinghammer later described Patricia as "an enthusiastic, young woman who considered this the ideal job she had always wanted. Her love of wolves perhaps made her a little more bold than she should have been, but she was very brave indeed."
Today, the sanctuary has evolved significantly, now featuring a 5000-square foot wolf centre and one-way glass observatories that allow visitors to safely view the seven-acre enclosure where its wolf pack resides.
