WHITEHORSE (CANADA), 15/07/2013 – When Mac Hollan realized it was a wolf and not a big dog chasing him on his bike along the Alaska Highway, things started to go through his mind. His riding mates were out of sight well behind him. He wasn’t sure how everything would end – or whether it was going to end right there, west of Watson Lake, a little over a week ago. The rush of adrenaline propelled him like he’s never pedalled before, Hollan writes on the blog he’s using to keep followers updated about his 4,500-kilometre ride from Idaho to Prudhoe Bay to raise money for kids back home. The grey wolf easily stayed with him, nipping at his heels, and ripping at his tent bag. Attempts to convey his distress to a passing 18-wheeler, and then to four other vehicles, resulted in nothing. Nobody stopped. The wolf pulled up momentarily when Hollan hit it with the bear spray he was carrying up front. But the wolf was quickly back on pace, in the chase again. Hollan doused it a second time. The result was the same: a brief pause in stride, and then back on the attack. And again, the same. And again. When he rounded a corner and looked ahead to the hill coming up, his uncertainty grew. “As I came around the corner, to my horror I saw a quick incline, and knew that I would not be able to stay in front of this wolf for much longer,” Hollan writes. “I just kept thinking about all the shows I have seen where wolves simply run their prey until they tire and then finish them. It was a surreal moment to realize that I was that prey, and this hill was that moment. The only plan I could think of was to get off my bike, get behind it, and hope that I had enough bear spray to deter him once and for all when he got close enough. “It was also at this point that I realized I might not be going home, and I began to panic at the thought of how much it was going to hurt.” But from the rear, an RV approached. Hollan was now pedalling down the middle of the highway to draw attention to the wolf on his heels. The driver pulled over, and Hollan scrambled to get inside. The wolf, meanwhile, continued to attack the discarded bike, ripping at the bags, the tires. Several more vehicles passed by, but the undeterred wolf remained focused on the bike. It wasn’t until one motorist stopped and pegged the wolf with a rock in the head did the animal depart.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 18:50:33 +0000
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