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Wolf shot and killed by police after escaping enclosure near Port Colborne

Niagara Police
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A wolf that escaped an enclosure near Port Colborne, Ont. earlier this week has been shot and killed, Niagara police confirm.

In a news release issued Thursday, investigators said the animal was shot after officers attempted unsuccessfully to contain and capture the wolf.

"Given the close proximity of the wolf to the farm animals, out of concern for the safety of those animals, due to the wolf being potentially dangerous, an officer discharged a firearm and fatally shot the wolf," police said in a statement.

The female white Arctic wolf was rescued from an area in northern Ontario and dug out of its enclosure on Tuesday morning.

Police say they received numerous calls for wolf sightings in the area and that around 7 p.m. on Thursday, a property owner said they were concerned for the safety of their animals.

Officers attended the scene and contacted the Niagara Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). However, before the SPCA could arrive on scene, an officer shot the animal.

Police say the investigation into the housing of the wolf is ongoing. The remains of the wolf have been left with the SPCA.

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