http://www.aws.vcn.com/wolf_attacks_on_humans.html

The website above has some verified attacks on humans in North America..and did you hear about or know of this attack in 2005:

Kenton Carnegie, killed by a pack of wolves in northern Saskatchewan in 2005.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenton_Joel_Carnegie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_attacks_on_humans

Though most Native American tribes revered wolves, their oral history 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 hunter, in an interview with author Barry Lopez, said that wolves used to attack his people, until the introduction of firearms, at which point the attacks ceased.[11]

When settlers began colonizing the continent, they noticed that while local wolves were more numerous than in Europe, they were less aggressive.[11] In Canada, an Ontario newspaper offered a $100 reward for proof of an unprovoked wolf attack on a human. The money was left uncollected.[3] Though Theodore Roosevelt 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.[12]

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.[13][14][15][16] 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.[17]

Unlike the grey wolf, the red wolf has not been known to attack people. However, packs of red wolves were reported to scavenge on battlefield corpses during the Mexican-American War.[18]

Wolves don't attack humans when they are wild and have adequate room to survive, they do attack when the become habituated to humans. Coyotes are geting habituated to humans and are attacking, the same thing will happen with wolves if they are not managed in areas of high densities.

One thing regarding the infrequency of wolf attacks over the last 2 centuries, during this time period there were very few people where wolf populations were of any large number, so I think this argument of the relative peaceful co-existence between the two species is faulty.
It would be like comparing the bear attacks in N.J. from the 1970's to the last 10 years. In the '70's there were almost no bears anywhere in the state, and now the population is est. at 3500, and now people of the garden state are living in constant danger of destruction of property and attacks..
I think wolves like any other apex predator is a dangerous animal and the risk of attack only increase as the numbers of both species increase in the same area.

even one wolf attack is enough to let you in on the fact that wolves WILL attack humans. if you go wandering around alaska, you run the risk of this type of thing happening. those animals must kill to survive. every animal in alaska lives that way. shame to lose someone that way. condolences to her family.

There have been three deaths from wolves in NA in the past century-all rabies related. ONE MO' TIME: Healthy
wolves in the wild do not attack humans. I still wouldn't go jogging in the AK boonies without a weapon.
MY heart goes out to her family.

The book, Wolves in Russia by Will N Graves has information by the editor, Valerius Geist, Ph.D. that is interesting as it applies to North American wolves. It may give one a better feel for this animal.

My thinking, is that wild animal attacks are rare..but one reason for the rarity, was that predators have been trimmed back in #'s, and managed to where they stayed in balance with the prey (didn't lead to attacks on humans due to starvation)...what worries me in recent years are the groups that have forced the reduction in predator management, and re-introduced predators into areas were conflicts are more likely to occur.....I'm not for wiping out predators, I enjoy the wild lands more when they are part of it, I just think that there were some reasons they were removed from certain areas, reasons modern people have forgotten, and people being on the menu is one of these reasons...a lot of people think wild animals are some sort of cute cuddly thing, forget that wolves, bears, and cats kill for a living....not because they are evil, it's just what they do, the role they play, the same role a hunter plays...only a little easier to control human hunters near populated areas than wild ones....

blackdawgz....She probably just didn`t get it. She was from PA. and I`m pretty sure they don`t have wolves or grizz there.You would think someone would have warned her though wouldn`t you? Shame though.

That's horrible to hear about.

(mountain) Lions, and Coyotes, and Wolves and Bears ohh my.... They are the apex predators in the wild...When they do attack is it really that surprising?

2 wolf kills, not attacks. Multiple attacks but only 2 kills in the last 5 years. Everybody needs to be careful in the wild, take precautions or stay out of wolf and bear country. Wolves in Europe and Asia have killed hundreds of humans.

Maybe she was a PETA backer! and I agree with ilikehunting, 2 reports in 5 years when there haven't been any for a century is a warning light flashing!

Numerous things could have happened, perhaps she spotted the wolves and started running triggering the attack.

Wolf attacks are not as common as the other attacks but we also had lower numbers of wolves in the past now that their numbers are growing it's only a matter of time before the encounters increase as well as possibility of attacks

I can picture hear drinking the Kool-aid from some kooks she was listening to.

but I'm not saying I know.

Running is not the right pastime for places like that.

All city dwellers should read American Man Killers before going into the wilderness. Maybe it well enlighten a few souls...
I send my sympathy to the family.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Man-Killers-Stories-Dangerous-Wilderness/...

well if i was her i would have a 44 mag with me and maybe took a couple of them with me

With only two recorded attacks in centuries you wanna "rethink" the notion that wolves don't usually attack humans?
Plainly wolves don't usually attack humans if it has happened so infrequently. Coyote attacks seem to be on the rise, yes and coyote ranges have expanded well beyond traditional coyote habitats (if we have Yotes in Boston, which we now do, this is certainly true). Unfortunately the only way you can hunt 'yotes inside of the 128 belt is to hit 'em with yer car.
When we have heard of 10 wolf attacks on humans we can reconsider the commonly held belief that wolves don't usually attack humans. My sympathies for the departed, but 2 attacks in only a century do not a trend make.

If they are HUNGRY enough that will eat anything that looks like food. Obviously the teacher looked like food Bella.

"Unfortunately the only way you can hunt 'yotes inside of the 128 belt is to hit 'em with yer car."

Good gawd. Who'd want to live inside of the 128 belt? Been there done that. Rte 128 was the first time I saw absolutely dips**t driving -- a fellow wearing headphones, coffee in his hand, reading a newspaper on the steering column, in heavy traffic on 128. I just eased off the gas a bit until he was out of sight ahead of me.