FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Victoria, B.C. (February 10, 2026) – A new province-wide poll reveals a stark disconnect between British Columbians and the provincial government’s ongoing war on wolves. With the 2026 government-sanctioned wolf cull under way, when The public message is clear: stop killing wolves and start protecting them.
The poll, conducted by Research Co. on behalf of Pacific Wild, shows widespread ethical concerns about the B.C. government’s largely unrestricted and weakly regulated wolf hunting and culling programs. More than three-quarters of respondents oppose trophy hunting of wolves, including the use of leg-hold traps and neck snares. Wolf hunting contests were also a major concern, with 77% opposed.
The poll results indicate that the B.C. public overwhelmingly rejects the government’s justification that predator reduction is necessary to recover threatened caribou herds. Poll respondents instead identified habitat destruction, not predation, as the primary driver of caribou decline: 59% cited damage from natural resource exploitation, 51% pointed to forest fires, and 50% identified climate change. Only 9% identified wolf predation as a significant factor.
“The public understands what science has shown for years,” says Ian McAllister, Conservation Advisor and co-founder of Pacific Wild. “Killing wolves does not fix a habitat crisis. This poll underscores the profound disconnect between public opinion and the provincial government’s ongoing war on wolves.”
A new study by scientists at the University of British Columbia is the latest to counter the supposed benefits of predator management. Researchers found that killing wolves had minimal impact on caribou calf survival outside the most rugged landscapes, and concluded that caribou recovery efforts should focus on habitat restoration. Just this week, a coalition of environmental organizations announced their intent to sue the Government of Canada for delaying the full mapping of critical habitat for threatened Southern Mountain Caribou for over 11 years.
Over the past decade, over 2,500 wolves have been killed under the B.C. Caribou Recovery Program, primarily through aerial gunning by government contractors at a cost of more than 11 million tax dollars. In the same period, more than 7,300 wolves were killed by British Columbian and non-resident hunters (the true number is likely much higher, since reporting is not mandatory in most regions of the Province). Wolf killing contests, where participants compete for cash prizes based on the number or quality of wolves killed, are legal and ongoing in British Columbia.
Yet public awareness of these policies remains low. Only 27% of British Columbians know that the government allows unlimited wolf hunting and trapping in most areas. Even fewer (19%) are aware that thousands of wolves have been killed in the BC government’s wolf cull since 2015. Over 70% of respondents believed that wolves keep ecosystems healthy and balanced, and should be protected. More than half agreed that “killing wolves is wrong, even if it’s done to save another species”.
The findings send a clear message: British Columbians view the government’s policy of killing wolves to save caribou as misguided, unethical, and counterproductive. The policy distracts from the real crisis — ongoing habitat destruction — while inflicting needless suffering on a highly intelligent apex predator.
“The time for the provincial government to listen is now,” says Natasha Wehn, Project Director of Pacific Wild. “Stronger protection for wolves is not just good conservation policy; it is a moral imperative supported by the majority of British Columbians.”
Pacific Wild is encouraging members of the public to contact their political representatives and send a letter to provincial government leaders demanding an end to B.C.’s wolf cull program.
-30-
About Pacific Wild
Pacific Wild is a leading voice for wildlife conservation on Canada’s west coast. Through evidence-based advocacy, strategic campaigns, and powerful storytelling, Pacific Wild advances conservation policies informed by ecological science, Indigenous knowledge, and long-term sustainability for the benefit of ecosystems, communities, and future generations. www.pacificwild.org
Media Contact:
Natasha Wehn
Project Director, Pacific Wild
📧 projects@pacificwild.org
📞 250-380-0547
Media Assets: Available upon request
Further Information:
On February 2, 2026, The Allied Clans Coalition, Gitxsan Titleholders acting together to uphold responsibilities to their respective lax’yip (territories) and the wellbeing of the broader region, have have issued a formal notice to the Province of British Columbia regarding provincial wolf cull and predator management activities associated with caribou recovery programs. The notice makes clear that these activities do not have consent and are not authorized within Gitxsan Lax’yip unless and until appropriate engagement occurs and decisions are informed by place-based, Indigenous-led stewardship and research. https://antlihlxlaxyip.org/2026/02/09/allied-clans-issue-formal-notice-on-provincial-wolf-cull-in-gitxsan-laxyip/
