First Wolf Radio Collared in Oregon
A gray wolf was captured alive, fitted with a radio collar and ear tags, and then released in May in Baker County (Eastern Oregon).
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In April a number of lambs were killed at a ranch, but at the time it was not known exactly what had caused the deaths. A photograph taken at night by a remote camera showing a pair of wolves standing over dead lambs identified the culprits.
It was the first confirmed livestock depredation by wolves since they began returning to Oregon from Idaho in the late 1990s.
A joint project involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was formed to monitor the wolves to prevent further livestock damage. The wolf that had the collar applied to it is an 87 pound male about two years old. It was captured 2.5 miles from the ranch where the lambs were killed. Department of Fish and Wildlife officials will monitor the wolf’s movements using radio tracking. If the wolf nears the ranch or others, the ranchers will be notified. Also, radio-activated boxes can be used which emit loud noises when a radio-collared wolf approaches. Wolves in eastern Oregon are protected by the Oregon Endangered Species, but no longer by the federal ESA.
Defenders of Wildlife has a livestock compensation plan which the rancher can apply to in order to recoup his losses due to the wolves. “…Jacobs is also eligible for reimbursement for the value of the lambs under a Defenders of Wildlife program that has paid $1.2 million for confirmed wolf depredation of livestock in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah since 1987. ”
Wolves, however, are typically are not a primary cause of livestock destruction.
In Idaho for example common diseases killed far more sheep in 2004:
* digestive problems: 1600
* respiratory disease: 1300
* birthing problems: 1100
* miscellaneous health problems: 3200
* predators (all combined): 12,100*
* harsh weather: 600
* poisoning: 800
Only one percent of the sheep killed by predators in that year were killed by wolves.
But wolves are often scarier to humans than other animals due perhaps mainly to cultural attitudes and misunderstandings about them, so too often we believe they do more damage than is actually caused. The number of wolves in Oregon is tiny. Last year a ‘pack’ of two adults and two pups was identified.
Image Credit: Public Domain, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
They really need to protect them again, because these farmers don’t care they’ll shoot and kill them regardless. The wolves are just hunting for easy game, it’s not really their fault.
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