Don’t kill wolves preying on livestock

LAURIE HARDIES, ST. PAUL 

February 23, 2016

 

(Photo: Times graphic)

Reducing predation on livestock and supporting farmers and ranchers is a shared goal with the agriculture community. Yet when wolves are trapped and snared as a means of protecting livestock they are only put in worse off conditions — those that will affect the overall wolf pack.

Killing wolves to prevent them from preying on livestock is not based on sound science. A study using 25 years of wolf data published in December 2014 by Washington State University researchers indicates killing wolves involved in livestock conflicts actually caused increased predations the following year.

We need to support state and federal funding for nonlethal and effective methods for farmers/ranchers to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts. Nonlethal methods are the only way to effectively reduce wolf-livestock conflict.


source