Criminal charge filed over failure to report wolf escape

SANDPOINT - The founder of Wolf People has been charged with a misdemeanor for failing to advise authorities that one of her animals had escaped last year.

Nancy Jean Taylor's trial in Bonner County Magistrate Court is set for September. She is charged with failing to immediately report the escape of a captive wolf.

Taylor, a 67-year-old Cocolalla resident, is pleading not guilty to the charge, court records indicate.

Taylor was cited on June 15, several days shy of the one-year anniversary of the wolf's disappearance.

Cryco, a 14-year-old arctic and timber wolf hybrid, dug out of its enclosure at a Wolf People facility. But the escape was never reported to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, a requirement under state law.

The wolf was later spotted roaming the Hoodoo Valley, jangling the nerves of residents and fueling the debate over wolf management in the West.

Taylor told The Bonner County Daily Bee last year that she did not report Cryco missing because she believed the animal would not survive in the wild. The wolf had been raised in captivity and had renal failure.

Nevertheless, Taylor and other handlers made repeated trips to the valley in an unsuccessful effort to lure the wolf back.

Cryco is still missing, according to Wolf People's website. Taylor, meanwhile, is soliciting donations to help fund her defense in the criminal case.

Taylor said Cryco poses no threat to the public.

"He's very sweet and loves people. That's probably going to be his downfall," Taylor said in October.

Wolf People was formed in 1993 to educate the public about wolves. Wolf People has 23 wolves and offers guided tours of its facilities.