California launches new strike team to help stop wolves from killing livestock
The number of gray wolves in California continues to grow, and ranchers say they're to blame for a number of attacks against livestock.
Wolves are a protected species, and it's illegal to intentionally kill them unless someone's life is in danger. Now, there is a new tactic being deployed in California to help prevent any more conflicts.
California's Department of Fish and Wildlife is launching a new strike team to help stop wolves from killing cattle and other farm animals.
Wolves are native to California but had been missing from the state for nearly a century. Today, there are now ten established packs, with an estimated 70 individual wolves, predominantly in the northern state.
"You've got wolves constantly leaving the pack, and you've got pups coming in every year," said Patrick Griffin, Siskiyou County's wolf liaison.
The growing number of wolves is causing concern for livestock owners
"There have been over 80 cattle killed by the wolves, so that has been kind of hard for the ranchers to take," Griffin said.
But just a small fraction of overall deaths are caused by wolves.
Amaroq Weiss, a senior wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, estimates that "90 to 95 percent of cattle losses are due to causes that have nothing to do with any predator of any kind."
The state's new wolf strike team will monitor sightings and use GPS collars to track the animals. Team members can then respond when wolves approach livestock.
"The wardens that are providing the assistance might be able to do something like use rubber bullets or cracker shells or beanbag shells," Weiss said. "These are munitions which are not designed to kill. It is possible that the game wardens might also be using drones to scare wolves away."
This pilot project is scheduled to last through the summer and it's voluntary for ranchers to participate.
"The problem is there's still some concern among ranchers about having California Fish and Wildlife present on their properties, so in places that might work, there will be places that it won't work," Griffin said.
State wildlife officials say they've also paid out more than $3 million to help ranchers deter wolves and compensate those who have lost animals in a wolf attack.
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