A rare wolf missing from a Forest Lake science center was seen early Wednesday in Anoka County when a picture-snapping resident captured a blurry image near lower Coon Lake. "When we saw the photo I would say it's her," said Bob Ebsen, education director for the Wildlife Science Center. "It was a speck going across the bottom of the lake." What happened? The female Mexican gray wolf, who's approaching her fourth birthday, went missing Monday morning after someone broke a lock on her cage. Two other wolves -- the missing wolf's sisters -- stayed nearby. One remained in the cage and the other was herded back inside.
Who committed the crime? Peggy Callahan, the center's executive director, suspects animal extremists because of "some pretty tense exchanges" in the past. "They love this stuff. They want the publicity. The thing they messed up is that they liberated an animal that belongs to the federal government."
But Lt. Paul Sommer of the Anoka County Sheriff's Office said there's no evidence that extremists were involved. "If it's truly animal rights people thinking they're freeing those animals, then why did they open just one cage?" he said.
Why is this wolf special? Fewer than 150 wolves of this species exist worldwide. They're protected under the Endangered Species Act. The grays are among several wolf species whose habits are studied at the center.
Ebsen said the missing one doesn't have a name in Forest Lake but she was called "Medium Toast" at her previous residence, the St. Louis Zoo, because of the color of her fur.
The shy 55- to 60-pound wolf has never lived in the wild. Ebsen said there's concern that she could be shot, harassed to the point of injury or hit by a car.
How are people helping? The phone at the center was ringing all day as people called to report wolf sightings, Ebsen said, and many of them sent digital photographs.
"We've got some really nice shots of coyotes standing in people's back yards," he said.
