Are Wolves Culling Zoar's Pub Crawlers?

Cedar: Two years ago in an effort to stem the booming deer population, Cedar County's Wildlife Management Director, Henry Georges, brought in a pack of timber wolves and placed them in residence in the heavily wooded Podebrad Park some five miles from Zoar. Despite the dire warning of a few county residents fearful that the pack of 6 adult wolves would soon be preying on pets and livestock in the area, the wolves have lived peacefully in the park, feeding only on deer and rodents. To all concerned, Georges' plan seemed to have worked---until early November.

     It was then that sightings of individual wolves were spotted on the campus of Georg von Podebrad College late at night. On one occaission, Zoar Police observed a wolf cross a street while appearently stalking a group of loud, drunken students making their way home from the bars. An approaching car startled the wolf and it abruptly ran away.

     More reports of nocturnal wolf sightings in the downtown area has alarmed Zoar's residents. Animal Control Officers and County Wildlife Management officials feel that the wolves are drawn to the smell of food scraps in dumpsters and trash cans. According to Georges then, "They're adapting to the need to expand their food resources. They're awfully clever. We haven't been out to check on 'em yet, but it's likely that the pack has exapnded to about 15 individuals by now. And since the deer have grown wary of them, it's getting harder for them to get food this winter. Looks like they've discovered the convience of downtown."

     But during the early morning of December 14, the wolves feeding habits suddenly changed. Tracy Poletz, a 23 year old senior in zoology had been out drinking with his friends in downtown Zoar. At about 2:30 am, he and his friends were on their way home when Poletz separated himself from the group.

     According to his friend, Martin Ewings, "We figured he went off to pee. He was really drunk-hell, we all were. By the time we got to the end of the block, I heard him yell, but you know, we thought he was clownin' around an' shit. He did that kind of shit, you know."

     At mid-morning, a delivery man discovered a tattered and bloody tangle of clothing in an alley behind the 400 block of Podebrad Street. When he discovered the mass was in fact the remains of a human being, he called police. Later that day, the remains were identified as belonging to Poletz.

     Since that night, police have received calls detailing four other instances in which wolves not only stalked students returning from downtown bars, but on one occaision, herded three individuals almost ten blocks before attacking them behind St. Ursula's Catholic Church. And in that incident, the wolves were driven off when a pajama-clad Father Arthur Sartori arrived with a shotgun and fired it in the air.

     Asked about the fate of the wolves, Georges is profoundly upset. "If we can find them, they'll all have to be killed. Even the pups. People won't stand for anything less. I've even had a few calls for that from people who are devoted animal rights activists. They don't go out at night for fear of the wolves. Funny how your principles change when you're no longer top of the food chain."