The young wolf was struck by a vehicle on Highway 17 last Saturday and underwent surgery on Wednesday to help repair two broken back legs
Vimy the wolf is on the road to recovery after going under the knife to repair two back legs which broke in a motor vehicle incident last Saturday.
“This young wolf suffered fractures in both legs after being hit by a car, and he now faces a long recovery journey,” Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary posted on social media on Thursday. “He’s currently on pain medication and antibiotics, and our team is monitoring him on camera 24/7 to support his healing.”
Since returning to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary post-operation, they report that Vimy has been eating and drinking well, “which is an encouraging sign as he begins to recover.”
Vimy was struck by a vehicle on Highway 17 in Hagar last Saturday, and the motorist joined two OPP constables in tracking him down.
They reached out to a volunteer from the Val Caron-headquartered Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre, who picked up what they reported on social media as being a “terrified” young wolf out of its hiding spot and into a secure enclosure.
The 60-pound wolf was treated for shock upon arrival in Val Caron, and by the next morning was “bright and alert.”
He was then taken to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and later the National Wildlife Centre for his surgery.
Vimy was returned to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary post-surgery, and is being monitored. After his break heals, Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary animal welfare assistant director Mon Keldsai said he’d be moved into a bigger outdoor space where he can walk around, run and hunt.
If all goes according to plan, he’ll be released back in the location he was found sometime this spring or summer.
The motorists is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and asked that the wolf be named Vimy, after a military police working dog who died in 2021.
That police dog, in turn, was named after the First World War Battle of Vimy Ridge, which took place in France from April 9-12, 1917, and saw 3,598 Canadians killed and approximately 7,000 wounded.
Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre is a completely volunteer-run organization founded by Gloria Morisette and based in Val Caron. They rely on public support for funding.
Last year, Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre reported 820 animal intakes consisting of 64 species, who were aided by a volunteer complement of 25.
The National Wildlife Centre is located in Caledon East and the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is located east of Rosseau.