Federal officials say wolves will be killed
Associated Press
MISSOULA (AP) – Federal wildlife officials said Friday they hope to chase
down and kill the wolves that killed four sheep in the Ninemile Valley
west of here.
“I want to stop this. It is a chronic problem,” federal wolf biologist Joe
Fontaine said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials said they hope killing two wolves from
the six-wolf pack would stop attacks on livestock. The Ninemile pack is
suspected of killing 11 sheep, seven llamas and a horse in the past 11/2
years.
Wolf recovery coordinator Ed Bangs said he has urged Ninemile Valley
residents to take extra precautions, including installing higher or
electric fences and putting stock into barns at night.
Three of the wolves in the Ninemile are fitted with radio collars. One of
them, a black female, was in the lower part of the valley Thursday night.
Fontaine said that wolf, tagged with No. 389, likely killed the sheep.
The wolf was seen harassing llamas in an electric fence-enclosed area
Wednesday.
Fontaine asked a wildlife agent to shoot the wolf from a helicopter Friday
and a second wolf, especially if it was traveling with No. 389. Wildlife
officials have killed five wolves in the Ninemile Valley this year.
The pack lived in relative harmony with valley residents until 2001.
During the previous 11 years, only six calves and several domestic dogs
were killed.
“We don’t know what makes them flip-flop from natural to domestic prey.
But once they do, it gets into the pack and just continues,” Fontaine
said. “If you don’t lethally remove animals, it continues.”
He said there are no plans to kill the entire pack, although the agency
has taken out entire packs in other instances.
“I don’t want to do that, but if I’m forced to do it, I will do it,”
Fontaine said.