Wildlife officials believe this is the first-ever wolf attack on a person in the state's history. 16-year-old Noah Graham was reportedly camping with a group of friends from his church Saturday night when a 75-pound grey wolf bit his head. (Via WCCO)
"I was leaning back, kind of on my elbows, and we were talking. I was looking her right in the eye and then just out of the blue it came and bit me crossways on the back of the head. I could feel it rip into my head." (Via WHAS)
The attack happened shortly after 4:00 a.m. as Graham was getting ready to fall asleep outside a tent. The teen's father, Scott, told WMBF Noah had to physically pry the jaws of the wolf open to get it off of his head.
“...and once he got it off and up, the wolf stood there growling at him so he had to shout at it and kick at it to get it to go away.”
But the wolf didn’t get too far. It was reportedly captured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, then shot and killed for testing.
Veterinarians are using DNA from Graham's wound to verify that the dead wolf was responsible for the attack. They're also testing the animal for rabies. (Via Daily Mail)
But there’s still the question of why the wolf resorted to attacking humans as they usually do not approach them, especially when they are alone.
A preliminary exam showed the dead wolf had a deformed jaw, which vets say could have impacted its hunting abilities and forced it to scavenge for meals in the campground. (via WXYZ)
Graham’s friends were able to get him to the hospital shortly after the attack where he received 17 staples in his head. He told local media he thinks it’ll be awhile until he tries to fall asleep outside again.
See more at Newsy.com
About the Author
