Takaya, a Canadian sea wolf, has been spotted all over the world since he was killed by a hunter in 2020.
Paintings, poems, sculptures and statues, including a 150-pound (68-kilogram) work made from a mix of driftwood, shells and dried kelp, commemorate wolves whose legacy reflects the complex relationship between humans and wildlife.
But photographer Cheryl Alexander, a staunch opponent of government-sanctioned wolf culling, was shocked to see one of her most famous images being used in advertising for a big-game hunting company.
“I was shocked, a little horrified and really angry at the company that was using Takaya as publicity to come to Canada and kill wolves,” she told The Guardian. “Takaya is in many ways an international image of positive coexistence with humans, so it was very hurtful.”
The unlikely story of the wolf’s years of self-imposed isolation fascinated Vancouver Island residents, some of whom paddled past rock outcrops and windswept trees to catch a glimpse of the wolf. But one day in late March, a hunter’s rifle struck the wolf, killing it untimely.
Alexander recently joined the British Columbia-based Terminus Mountain Outfitters The company had used her photo to promote its wolf-hunting packages, and she quickly took to her Instagram page, asking her 33,000 followers to share their thoughts on the decision.
“,”alt”:”An Instagram post showing an advertisement for a hunting website. A text box appears above it saying, ‘We are horrified that the iconic image of Takaya, a wolf beloved around the world, is being used to encourage trophy hunters to kill BC’s wolves.'”,”index”:7,”isTracking”:false,”isMainMedia”:false}”>
In a statement, Terminus’ owners said they did not intend to “offend” anyone with the image.
“[A web design company] I’ve selected some wildlife photos to use. [website]On July 27, I was contacted by a disgruntled person who was upset because he recognized the wolf photo as a wolf named Takaya. I did not know the story behind the wolf, nor which of the three photos on my website was Takaya’s. I asked my web developer to remove all three photos. The photos were removed on July 29. Neither I nor the web developer intended to offend anyone,” he said. “Unfortunately, because of the media attention, we are receiving threatening and very angry emails, even though we have nothing to do with the live photos that were selected. We are a legitimate family-run business.”
The image and the wolf hunting page have since been removed.
In British Columbia, wolves are considered pests that need to be eradicated, and hundreds are killed for sport every year. Hunters typically only harvest their fur and throw away the carcasses. Driven by growing anger and a shift in perception, Alexander and local conservation groups are Petition calling for moratorium on wolf hunting The petition has so far collected more than 65,000 signatures in British Columbia, and Alexander has also set up a non-profit organization. Takaya’s Legacy We are working to support wolf conservation efforts.
While Takaya’s achievement aligns with conservationists’ goals, his curiosity, or lack of fear, also raises difficult questions about the kind of relationship local people had with wolves and whether that led to his death.
“I was upset by the photo, but there’s also a positive side to it, because it has brought public attention to what’s going on with trophy hunting in Canada. The wildlife that is being hunted in Canada is really disgusting,” Alexander said. “We’re fighting biodiversity loss, and it’s unacceptable that trophy hunters continue to hunt just for fun and recreation.”
