Wolf depredation reported

by Cat Urbigkit

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, last Wednesday, June 26, USDA Wildlife Services specialists confirmed a calf had been killed by wolves on private property near the Black Butte elk feedground near Cora.

“Reports from local ranchers indicate there might be as many as four or five wolves involved,” FWS reported.

FWS’s Mike Jimenez said in an interview Monday that there appears to be five wolves in the pack, adding that Wildlife Services was able to get a radiocollar on one of the wolves, so the pack can now be monitored.

The FWS weekly status report, written by Wolf Recovery Coordinator Ed Bangs, noted, “The type of any subsequent control would be determined as more information is obtained or if more depredations occur.”

Jimenez said no further problems have been reported after a wolf or wolves killed domestic sheep in a pasture northeast of Farson last month. Although Wildlife Services has been authorized to kill two wolves, federal officials are “still looking” for the wolves, Jimenez said.