Wolf News Roundup 9/5/2018
by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
September 5, 2018
Togo wolf killed
On Sept. 2, 2018, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) marksman fatally shot the collared male member of the Togo wolf pack, which has repeatedly preyed on livestock in northern Ferry County.
WDFW officials said the wolf, which was wearing a radio collar that provided location data, was shot from a helicopter this morning within the pack’s territory east of Danville, just south of the U.S.-Canada border.
Wolf managers will perform a necropsy on the wolf’s carcass as soon as possible. Meanwhile, field staff will continue to monitor the Togo pack’s activities and work with the livestock producer to prevent further conflicts.
WDFW personnel on foot attempted to locate the wolf on Friday evening, Aug. 31, following the expiration of a temporary restraining order that had prevented the wolf’s removal. They returned to the area on Saturday, Sept. 1, but did not see the animal either day.
On Aug. 23, a livestock producer reported shooting the collared wolf in self-defense while checking on his cattle. A WDFW wolf biologist and a county wildlife specialist located the wolf on Aug. 27 and reported the animal’s left rear leg appeared to be broken. Officials said today the dead wolf’s left rear leg was injured.
Wolf managers have confirmed the pack’s involvement in six separate depredation incidents since last November, including three in the month preceding Aug. 20, when WDFW Director Kelly Susewind authorized the lethal removal under the terms of the department’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and its wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
Oregon
The same controversies and arguments arise wherever wolf populations expand their range in the United States, and Oregon is the latest example. According to the Capital Press, a recent stakeholders group convened to talk about wolf management turned on key issues such as killing wolves that repeatedly prey on livestock, with ranching and hunting advocates supporting such action, and environmental groups opposing lethal control.
Related Links
Togo wolf - Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Oregon - Capital Press
Wolf Watch - by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
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