A wolf attacked a sleeping teen at a Minnesota campground, sending a 16-year-old boy to the hospital with a bite wound to his head. The animal was later trapped and killed.
The attack on Saturday at the West Winnie Campground on Minnesota's Lake Winnibigoshish was the first of its kind in the state's recent history,
CBS News reported.
The 16-year-old victim, Noah Graham, was sleeping outside his tent when the wolf attacked him at approximately 4 a.m. Saturday morning.
Urgent: Should Obamacare be Repealed? Vote Here Now
According to the boy's father, Scott Graham, the 75-pound male grey wolf wrapped its jaws around his son's head and would not let go.
"The wolf just came up behind Noah, he didn’t hear anything, and it just grabbed him by the back of the head and wouldn’t let go," Scott Graham, the boy's father, told CBS News.
The attack left a 14-inch gash at the rear of Graham's skull which physicians described as not life-threatening,
KARE 11 reported. The laceration required 17 staples to close. Graham also had several puncture wounds behind his left ear, CBS News reported.
The teen has already returned home from the hospital.
The gray wolf, or timber wolf as it is also known, was later trapped and killed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is testing the animal for rabies at the University of Minnesota veterinary diagnostic lab, CBS News notes.
"It was trapped in an area where it was likely habituated to humans and the ability to grab easy food, and (that's) not normal for wolf behavior," Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Regional Manager Tom Provost told KARE 11.
"There were no other wolves witnessed throughout this event," Provost added. "Just by its behavior and the fact that it was letting itself be seen that close to humans and actually approaching humans, it is incredibly abnormal behavior and I would not suspect that there is other wolves involved."
Latest: Do You Support Giving Illegals Citizenship? Vote Here Now
After the wolf was killed, authorities discovered it had a deformed jaw which could have been a reason why it took to scavenging about the campground, noted CBS News.
In the past 10 years there have only been two fatal wolf attacks in North America, one having occurred in Alaska and the other in Canada, according to KARE 11.
The campground where the incident occurred has been closed.
Related stories:
Wolf Hunting Foes in Minnesota Face Uphill Battle After Ruling
Hunters Kill Popular Yellowstone Wolf, Causing Cries for Rule Changes
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.