And now the news we’ve been expecting all day.
Just moments ago, U.S. Fish and Wildlife in Portland issued a press release confirming that a wolf, or wolves, are responsible for the killing of 19 lambs at a ranch in Baker County. The next step is to capture the wolves, outfit them with radio collars, take blood samples, then return them to the wild.
Surveillance Photo Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Fish and Wildlife.
The radio collars will make it easier for wildlife officials to track the wolves after release, to determine if more wolves were involved, and if a pack has formed in the area.
Fish and Wildlife says it’s working with the rancher and ODFW to prevent further losses. Gary Miller from the La Grande office says the rancher has taken some good steps and that Defenders of Wildlife is providing him with anti-wolf protection called fladry, which is electric fencing with flagging.
The future status of Gray Wolves remains up in the air. The Interior Department recently said it would remove Gray Wolves in the Rocky Mountain region from the Endangered Species List on May 4. This would include wolves in Eastern Oregon.
Bush administration attempts to delist the wolf were successfully overturned in court and environmental groups say they’ll take action to block this new delisting. Federal law bans killing or hurting wolves, even when they’re preying on livestock.
Regardless of what happens at the federal level, the Gray Wolf will remain on the Oregon Endangered Species list for some time. Oregon law says it’s illegal to shoot a wolf, even if it’s mistaken for another animal, such as a coyote. Farmers and ranchers can use non-lethal methods to scare them away. ODFW’s Wolf Management plan allows farmers and ranch to shoot wolves in the act of attacking livestock, but that part of the plan hasn’t been approved by the legislature.
Meanwnhile the Baker City Herald has updated its story on the wolf kill with more information on how they’ll be trapped and how the rancher plans to be compensated for his loss. The paper says wildlife officials will use rubber jaw traps that hold the wolf without hurting it. Rancher Curt Jacobs tells the Herald he’ll apply for compensation from the Defenders of Wildlife, which has a program to pay for livestock losses to wolves. He believes his losses are more than $7000.
