Residents of Watson Lake, Yukon, are warned to protect their dogs from a pair of wolves that have been spotted in the area for over a month.

Yukon conservation officers say the wolves have taken two dogs from the area.

One was snatched from a resident's yard more than a month ago, with only its leash, collar and some blood left behind.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, a resident reported seeing a wolf leaving Watson Lake with a neighbour's small dog in its mouth, Watson Lake conservation officer Dean McLean told CBC News.

McLean said at least two wolves are roaming a wide area from the Upper Liard River right into Watson Lake, a town of about 850 in southern Yukon.

"One is a black, and the other one's a grey wolf that's got an injured right hind leg, and those are the two that have been reported the most," he said Thursday.

"The grey one has been reported and seems to be more active than the black one, but the two of them have been reported several times."

McLean is asking people in the Watson Lake area to keep their dogs indoors or in enclosed areas, and put away dog food or any other food that may attract wolves.

Doing so may deny the wolves an easy food source, forcing them to leave Watson Lake, he said.

Wolves usually tend to stay away from humans. McLean said the wolves in Watson Lake have been taking off as soon as they see a person.

"What we found in the past is that they're often older wolves getting to the end of their life," he said.

"They may be in poor condition, poor health, they're skinny, [there] may be broken teeth ... and they're doing what they can to survive."

Any more local wolf sightings or incidents should be reported to Watson Lake RCMP or the Yukon Environment Department's tipline at 1-800-661-0525.