Wolves are very unlikely to have been involved. Here is why.
Dear Manitoba,
The likelihood of a wolf having killed Moses Campeau is not very high. The evidence points to the clothes and his body being lacerated, rather than just punctured. Wolves do not claw other animals. No wolves were seen in the area and he wasn’t dragged. And there have only been roughly 26 recorded fatal wolf attacks on humans worldwide in all of recorded history, according to a 2022 study from Norway. About half of these attacks were attributed to rabies, the other half (if not all incidents) being linked to food conditioning through direct feeding or poor waste management. Considering this neighbourhood where Moses Campeau lived had no prior wolf complaints or rabies cases listed in any news source, it is very unlikely that wolves were involved. This incident happened very close to his house, presumably in a residential area. It doesn’t sound like wolf habitat. Please do not kill animals after a man was killed. There is no proof as to what happened. People are suggesting trapping bears. Don't let the bears or any other animals be harmed. And wolves are very unlikely to have been involved. This was most likely a dog attack. While packs of dogs have not been seen in the area recently, a single domesticated dog could easily kill a human in a place with no medical or veterinary care or resources. This could have been a bite and run incident where a dog guardian leaves the scene with their dog and doesn’t take responsibility.
This also could have been a defensive attack from a mother bear. Bears are in hyperphagia right now. It is unlikely that a bear was trying to eat Moses Campeau; more likely a bear was startled by him. Why were bears automatically dismissed as a possibility?
There is also the very real possibility this could have been a homicide, considering the difficulty discerning what type of animal attacked him. A human would potentially wear gloves to hide evidence. https://www.change.org/p/after-a-man-dies-in-manitoba-stop-the-indiscriminate-killing-of-local-wildlife
Whoever was involved, please do not destroy them. The animals are not the real problem. A lack of vital resources are. Instead of killing animals, remove attractants and fix the medical system so no one else has to wait over two hours for paramedics and another two hours to reach a hospital.
Sincerely,
Nicole Corrado
Community member of Toronto Police Services Missing and Missed Implementation Team
Director of Research for Animal Defence and Anti Vivisection Society of British Columbia
514-601-0259
PS.
I did an extensive Google search and came up with this. Can you please explain what is exactly happening? Why were wolves considered a possibility as a cause of Moses Campeau's death if fatal wolf attacks are so rare?
Wolves were considered a possibility in the death of Moses Campeau primarily due to the geographic context of the attack, the presence of localized wildlife, and the standard elimination process used by investigators. Even though fatal wolf attacks are exceedingly rare, several specific factors led authorities to include them in the initial investigation: [1, 2]
Local Wildlife Population: The attack took place in the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation in western Manitoba, an area where wolves and bears are common. Local leadership noted that the presence of wolves in the surrounding wilderness is a known reality. [1, 2]
Investigative Process of Elimination: Because an autopsy definitively ruled the preliminary cause of death as an animal attack rather than human homicide, investigators had to look broadly at all large predators capable of inflicting such extensive, severe trauma. [1, 2]
Ruling Out Other Predators: While Moses’s family strongly suspected a mother bear protecting her cub, provincial wildlife officials initially ruled bears out. When a primary suspect like a black bear is removed from the equation, investigators must shift focus to the region's remaining large carnivores—which include wolves, cougars, and domestic dogs. [1, 2, 3]
Nature of the Injuries: Moses suffered highly severe, extensive wounds, including a severed right arm and trauma to his stomach and thighs. This level of trauma pointed specifically to a large, powerful predator or a pack of animals (such as wolves or roaming dogs), expanding the scope of the inquiry despite the statistical rarity of wild wolf attacks. [1, 2, 3]
Ultimately, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service predator attack team treated the case as a broad wildlife investigation to ensure no possibilities were ignored before finalizing the culprit. [1]
Would you like to know more about how wildlife forensic investigators trace bite marks to differentiate between a wolf, dog, or bear attack, or look into the current updates from the RCMP investigation?
CBC
'He was fighting,' says mother of western Manitoba man killed ...
Sep 15, 2026 — Only a black bear and two cubs have been repeatedly spotted in the area, Campeau said. She criticized provincial conservation officers…
Winnipeg Free Press
'Kind and gentle giant' – Winnipeg Free Press
Sep 14, 2026 — Moses Campeau, 21, died in an animal attack in Sapotaweyak Cree Nation last week. Paula Campeau said RCMP major crime investigator...
Brandon Sun
Family awaits answers after fatal animal attack - Brandon Sun
Sep 14, 2026 — He helped with preparations for traditional sweat lodge ceremonies. Paula Campeau said her son was preparing to obtain a commercial fishing license.
Show all
Why were wolves considered a possibility as a cause of Moses Campeau's death? If fatal wolf attacks are so rare why not instead presume a dog attack if that is more common?
While domestic dog attacks are statistically far more common than wild wolf attacks, investigators and the family of Moses Campeau could not simply presume a dog attack due to a few critical pieces of evidence from the scene and the specific nature of the case:
Absence of Loose Dogs: In many fatal dog attacks involving grown adults, multiple dogs roaming in a pack are typically responsible. However, Moses’s mother, Paula Campeau, noted that loose or roaming dog packs were not seen in that specific area of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation around the time of the incident. [1, 2]
Scale of Physical Trauma: Moses was a physically powerful, 290-pound outdoorsman and logger who actively fought back. The sheer scale of the trauma—including a severely severed arm and extensive wounds to his stomach and thighs—suggested an animal with immense bite force and predatory power. While a single large dog can inflict fatal injuries, the level of destruction made a wild, large carnivore like a wolf or a bear a highly logical anatomical alternative. [1, 2, 3, 4]
A "Process-of-Elimination" List: In the initial days of the investigation, RCMP Major Crime Services handled the case as a suspicious death/homicide. When the autopsy formally shifted the focus to wildlife, investigators presented the family with a broad spectrum of possibilities based on the region's fauna: a large dog, a wolf, or a small bear. They did not eliminate dogs; rather, a "wolf" was kept on the list alongside dogs to ensure forensics covered all native species capable of that level of force. [1]
Claw vs. Bite Evidence: Preliminary observations of the scene showed that Moses's clothing was heavily clawed and shredded. Because domestic dogs rarely rely on heavy, deep clawing mechanics compared to wild canines or bears, the physical nature of the evidence kept wild predators in the conversation. [1, 2]
Ultimately, forensic investigators cannot rely on statistical likelihood alone when a rare event might have occurred. Instead of presuming a dog attack, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service predator attack teamhad to gather DNA, bite mark measurements, and hair samples to let the hard science identify the animal. [1]
Would you like to know more about how DNA or bite-mark profiling differentiates a domestic dog from a wolf in wildlife forensics, or check if any recent community alerts have been issued by the First Nation?
Brandon Sun
Family awaits answers after fatal animal attack - Brandon Sun
Sep 14, 2026 — ... 'Moses, you're not alone.'” Paula Campeau said her son reached toward her niece, who was screaming for help and shouting his name. CBC
'He was fighting,' says mother of western Manitoba man killed ...
Sep 15, 2026 — After his death was deemed suspicious, an autopsy concluded he was killed by an animal, RCMP announced Monday.
www.change.org
After Moses dies in Manitoba, Stop blaming local wildlife and ...
Sep 15, 2026 — An autopsy later determined that the preliminary cause of death was an animal attack, but the specific animal has not been confirmed.
Yes but wolves do not claw prey and no wolves were seen in the area either.
You are entirely correct, and your observations point exactly to why this case has baffled the local community and why the official initial assessment has faced criticism. Wolves do not use their claws to hunt, and no wolves or stray dog packs were observed in the area by residents. [1, 2, 3]
The inclusion of wolves on that initial list was not based on scene evidence, but rather on a rigid, standard procedure by southern-based investigators. When the RCMP Major Crime Services shifted the case from a human homicide investigation to an animal attack, the responding investigator provided a generic textbook list of large regional predators capable of lethal force: a large dog, a wolf, or a small bear. [1, 2]
The physical evidence and local reality strongly contradict that standard list:
The Shredded and Clawed Clothing:
Moses’s mother, Paula Campeau, noted that his clothes were heavily scratched, mauled, and ripped into shreds. Because wild canines (like wolves) and domestic dogs kill primarily with localized puncture bites rather than deep slashing or clawing, this evidence heavily points toward a bear or a large feline like a cougar.
[1, 2]
The Absence of Sightings: Neither wolves nor roaming dog packs had been seen anywhere near the community road where Moses was attacked. By contrast, a mom black bear and her two cubs had been repeatedly spotted right near the local homes and close to the exact spot where he died. [1, 2, 3]
The Wolf "Behavioural Factor": Local reasoning also notes that a wolf pack or single wolf likely would have tried to drag a victim away into the brush. Instead, Moses was found right on the community road, and his injuries strongly matched a defensive, highly aggressive mauling—highly characteristic of a mother bear protecting her nearby cubs. [1]
The community has expressed deep anger and skepticism over provincial conservation officers ruling out bears so quickly, especially given the claw marks and clear bear sightings. For now, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service predator attack team has had to rely on forensic DNA swabs and bite-mark metrics to definitively identify the "mystery animal," as the official theories continue to clash with the actual evidence left at the scene. [1, 2]
Would you like to look into how the community is responding to the 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. curfew that was implemented, or check for any new statements from the RCMP regarding the DNA results?
On Tue, Sep 15, 2026 at 11:32 AM Nicole Corrado <nicolecorradoart@gmail.com> wrote:
Please do not kill animals after a man was killed. There is no proof as to what happened. And wolves are very unlikely to have been involved. This was most likely a dog attack. https://www.change.org/p/after-a-man-dies-in-manitoba-stop-the-indiscriminate-killing-of-local-wildlife
Nicole Corrado
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Nicole Corrado <nicolecorradoart@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 11:26 AM
Subject: Don't kill animals
To: <Conservation.Officer.Service@gov.mb.ca>
Please do not kill animals after a man was killed. There is no proof as to what happened. And wolves are very unlikely to have been involved. This was most likely a dog attack. https://www.change.org/p/after-a-man-dies-in-manitoba-stop-the-indiscriminate-killing-of-local-wildlife
Nicole Corrado