Suspected wolf hybrid goes missing

HOGANSBURG — The mysterious canine captured on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation has flown the coop.

The animal, which is suspected to be a wolf hybrid, disappeared from its cage earlier this week. The lock was cut off and the animal's whereabouts are unknown.

"What we don't want to have happen is for the community to get freaked out," said David T. Staddon, public information officer for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. "It hasn't shown up yet."

The animal does not appear to be a threat and has been known to eat out of people's hands, tribal officials say. However, people are being cautioned not to approach it and not to leave food or trash out. If the animal was simply let loose, it likely will stay in the area where food and shelter are easy to find, according to the tribe.

"The other possibility is that somebody may have taken him away, but it would not have been easy," Derek B. Comins, the tribe's animal control officer who assisted in its capture, said in a press release. "He's been skittish and defensive in this unfamiliar environment so I'm not sure how a person would be able to get him into a vehicle or a cage."

Tranquilizer darts were used to capture the 83-pound canine almost a month ago. Since then, the animal has been caged while the tribe sought a refuge willing to take him. DNA results have not come back yet, but from looking at pictures of him, there is little doubt of him being descended from wolves, said Ken Collings, president of Wolfdog Rescue Resources Inc., a Virginia-based organization composed of wolf hybrid owners and rescuers.

Last year, two wolf hybrids were found on the reservation and another near Parishville. All three were killed and determined to be related to each other and Alaskan wolves. Both circumstances make it likely that the animals were bred and domesticated.

Wolf hybrids are illegal in New York without a special permit, but because the tribe is a sovereign nation, those laws don't apply. The tribe is unaware of anyone who breeds or owns hybrids, according to Mr. Comins. The tribe proposed an updated animal control ordinance that includes regulations about hybrids last year. It is expected to be adopted this summer, Mr. Comins said.

Since the animal's capture, Mr. Comins has been looking for a refuge willing to take it. One was found and the canine was supposed to be moved this weekend, according to the press release.

"Our priority has been to find a safe place for him," Mr. Comins said in a statement. "What worries me is that he may get hit by a car or that somebody will get scared and shoot him. If the final DNA tests show that he is 100 percent wolf, then killing him would be a felony since wolves are an endangered species."

Anyone who sees the animal is advised not to approach it, but to call Mr. Comins at 1 (518) 358-2272, extension 287, or the St. Regis Mohawk Police at 1 (518) 358-9200.