Wyoming wolf report
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
July 6, 2017
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has released its annual wolf recovery report for Wyoming, reporting that the state is home to a minimum of 377 wolves in 52 packs. These numbers reflect that while the minimum number of wolves decreased 4.9% from 2015, the number of known packs increased slightly (7.3%). At the end of 2016, 108 wolves in 11 packs inhabited Yellowstone National Park.
After exceeding recovery goals since 2002, wolves were removed from federal protection on April 26, 2017.
FWS reports that in 2016, 56% of known wolf packs were involved in at least one confirmed livestock depredation in Wyoming, and that 24 of the known depredating packs were involved in more than two livestock depredations. Seven depredating packs were involved in more than 10 livestock depredations.
In addition:
• Two packs were responsible for 89% of all confirmed sheep depredations;
• Five packs were responsible for 44% of all confirmed cattle depredations;
• One pack killed both sheep and cattle, while all other depredating packs killed either cattle or sheep.
FWS reports: "In 2016, wolves in Wyoming were responsible for killing ≥243 livestock. Confirmed livestock depredations included 154 cattle, 88 sheep, and 1 horse. In addition, 24 cattle, 2 sheep, and 1 horse were injured by wolves, but survived. Agency control efforts removed 113 depredating wolves to minimize livestock losses caused by wolves."
The Wyoming Game & Fish Department paid $315,062 to compensate cattle and sheep producers who lost livestock to, or had livestock injured by, wolves during 2016.
The complete FWS report is linked below.
|
