Pacific Wild Exposes Government Wolf Cull in 'Brutal British Columbia'

In 2023, British Columbia's tourism industry generated $22.1 billion in revenue, drawing global visitors with promises of majestic wilderness and wildlife encounters. But behind the imagery and taglines lies a disturbing truth: wolves, one of the province’s most recognisable and revered creatures, are being slaughtered by the government in secret, using taxpayer money.

To expose this contradiction and confront the public with the harsh reality behind 'Beautiful British Columbia,' Pacific Wild is launching a bold international initiative: Brutal British Columbia, a dark tourism campaign that flips the province’s own promotional tactics against it.

Each year, B.C. conducts what’s known as the Judas Wolf Cull, a gruesome program where a single collared wolf is tracked to lead hunters to its pack. Since 2015, more than 2,500 wolves have been killed and over $11.5 million in taxpayer dollars spent.

In London and Berlin, two of the province’s tourism markets, eye-catching billboards juxtapose breath taking landscapes with stark imagery of wolves killed under government orders, challenging would-be visitors to reconcile the fantasy they’re sold with the reality that’s hidden. Back home in Victoria, BC, the campaign took over a gallery in the downtown core with a one-day pop-up shop unlike any other. The offer: bloodstained tote bags, lifeless plush wolves, and other chilling souvenirs of the cull. Hidden cameras captured reactions of stunned tourists, footage now featured in a powerful short film available across digital platforms worldwide.

“We’re not asking the world to turn its back on B.C.,” said Natasha Wehn, project director at Pacific Wild. “We’re asking people to stand up for what makes this province truly beautiful. The wolf cull is a national disgrace, and silence only enables it.”

The campaign is built to drive action. Inside the shop, visitors were invited to send pre-stamped postcards addressed to Premier David Eby, demanding an end to the cull. The initiative continues online, enabling locals and international tourists to apply pressure where it counts.

“As soon as we found out what was happening, we wanted to help,” said Scot Keith, co-founder and CEO at ONE23WEST, who led creative on the campaign. “We knew we had to go beyond traditional awareness work to create something that disrupted people’s assumptions, and demanded their attention.”

To learn more or send your own postcard to the Premier, visit PacificWild.