Woman says timber wolf attacked her while she was near side of road helping motorist

CTV Winnipeg: Woman says wolf attacked her Ina Sidhu speaks to Dawn Hepp who says a wolf attacked her while she was outside helping another motorist on Highway 6.

A Thompson woman says a massive timber wolf attacked her along Highway 6 in Manitoba.

“The wolf jumped at my neck and took hold,” said Dawn Hepp. “His whole jaw was wrapped around my neck.”

Hepp was travelling from Thompson to Ashern on Highway 6.

She had pulled over north of Grand Rapids to help another driver. That’s when she said she was attacked by the wolf.

“It was a timber wolf. It was about six feet two. Big head, long legs, fluffy tail. I just had my hands by my side. I didn’t scream. I couldn’t scream. I didn’t move,” she said.

Hepp said the animal dug a little deeper but then let go. She said she made her way back to the car. The wound was deep but wasn’t bleeding badly, she said.

She believes her injuries weren’t worse because she remembered the advice her father gave her while growing up on a farm to always remain calm during an encounter with a wild animal.

She was later treated and given numerous shots at an Ashern hospital.

Hepp said she's taking the incident lightly since she's faced worse.

"My daughter died on May 13, 2010 so that's more trauma to me than what happened to me now," she said.

Officials with Manitoba Conservation said they are investigating the wolf incident. They confirmed a wolf was killed in the area.

Officials said there are more than 4,000 wolves in Manitoba.

"This is an unusual incident," said Ken Rebizant from Manitoba Conservation. "We do inform the public to keep their distance. Enjoy wolves for what they are. They're a wild species but they can be unpredictable and the best thing to do is keep your distance from them."