Livestock depredation continues to hurt both ranchers and wolf recovery in the Southwest
International Wolf Center

Recent losses of both livestock and wolves are making many people unhappy with the Mexican Wolf Blue Range Wolf Reintroduction Program. Agency officials charged with reestablishing a sustainable Mexican wolf population are caught in the cross fire.

Already in 2006, officials have confirmed 19 cases of livestock being killed by wolves in the reintroduction area. In all of 2005, there were 22 confirmed, 7 probable and 7 possible wolf depredations on livestock. Although ranchers may receive some financial compensation for their losses, many wolf-killed livestock go unconfirmed and uncompensated.

While 2006 may or may not ultimately yield an unusually high number of livestock killed, there clearly has been an increase in the number of wolves killed for repeatedly killing livestock. Learn more.