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. At the same time, Canada is experiencing a boom in the wilderness tourism and sporting industry. More and more Canadians are heading out into the woods for pleasure.