Two wolves killed
for eating sheep
CLAYTON,
Idaho — Two members of the Whitehawk wolf pack were killed Monday by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after feeding on a sheep on private land
along the East Fork of the Salmon River.
Necropsies
confirmed that the two gray wolves, both yearling males, had killed the
sheep Sunday, Fish and Wildlife officials said in a press release.
"Harassment
devices have been in operation for the past two years to discourage wolves
from frequenting several ranches in the area," Fish and Wildlife
stated. "One wolf, B-125, was radio-collared, and wolf recovery
specialists are confident that most of the other Whitehawk Pack members
are also collared, which will facilitate monitoring the remaining
wolves."
Fish and
Wildlife and USDA Wildlife Services also tried to haze the wolves with
helicopters in an effort to scatter the pack and keep the wolves away from
the ranch where the sheep was killed.
Fish and
Wildlife has "issued lethal wolf take permits to four ranchers in the
East Fork because of the Whitehawk Pack’s chronic depredation
pattern," said Idaho Wolf Recovery coordinator Carter Niemyer.
"The lethal take permits will allow ranchers to kill any single wolf
on their private land over the next 45 days.
He said
this option will give the ranchers more flexibility in control of problem
wolves. "We are hopeful that the implementation of these management
actions will be successful in the East Fork area."
The
Wildlife Service also announced a gray wolf found east of Yellow Pine died
from a gunshot wound.
The wolf
was found in Valley County and sent to the agency’s forensic lab in
Ashland, Ore.
The agents
are pursuing several possible leads. Anyone with information about the
killing or suspicious behavior in the area March 16-19 should contact the
service’s Boise office.
"Substantial
rewards are offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of the person or persons responsible for this illegal act," said Paul
Weyland, lead agent in the case.
It is the
second case of an illegal wolf kill in Idaho this year. Another one was
found shot to death near Glenns Ferry in January.
The killing
of an animal protected under the Endangered Species Act is punishable by a
fine of up to $100,000 and one year in jail.