Langevin's head and hand wounds required over 50 stitches. Environment officials quickly shot two wolves they suspected of being involved in the attack. They later found a less-violent 1980s incident near Quesnel. In that case, a sleeping man was also bitten by a wolf, thought to be curious, that fled when the man awoke screaming. Conventional wisdom says that black bears and wolves are not high-risk creatures.
Wolves often avoid humans, entirely.
Black bears do not shy away from human areas but do not seek confrontations, with the exception of a sow if her cubs appear threatened. Statistics bear that out. Conservation officers say the chances of death from a bear or wolf attack is less than the chance of dying from bee stings or a lightning strike. Nonetheless, B.C. reports a slight increase in the number of injuries and fatalities from animal attacks over the last decade. The animals' behavior has not altered substantially but that of people has.