Zach Urness, Statesman Journal
A wolf attacked and killed two goats and one lamb in Southern Oregon’s Jackson County last weekend, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.
The wolf OR-33, a 2-year-old male that recently made his way to the Southern Cascades, was blamed for three attacks in the Grizzly Peak area northeast of Ashland.
Wolves are protected by the federal Endangered Species Act in Western Oregon and ODFW is likely to undertake non-lethal preventative measures in response to the incident.
The first confirmed attack on livestock by wolves in Western Oregon took place in November of 2015 by the wolf OR-25, which attacked three cattle in Klamath County, killing one and wounding two others.
On Friday, June 10, a goat carcass was discovered in the field of a livestock producer, with a second goat showing signs of injury from an attack, according to a report by ODFW. State biologists investigated the carcass and determined the death resulted from a wolf attack, based on the injury. GPS radio‐collar location data indicated OR33 was .4 miles from the kill site on June 11. A second goat carcass was found on June 13, with only parts of the skeleton remaining.
On June 12, just a half mile away from the site where the goats were found, the livestock producer discovered the body of an adult ewe.
“The extent and severe nature of the hemorrhage is consistent with wolf caused trauma,” ODFW officials wrote in their report.
OR-33 dispersed from the Imnaha Pack, the same pack as OR-7 and OR-25. He followed a path through the Columbia River Gorge, Ochoco Mountains and past Fort Rock State Park before stopping in Klamath County.
Tom Collom, a district biologist for ODFW, told the Herald and News in February that OR-33 “got into a couple cow carcasses on private property” while in Klamath County.
Collom said OR-33’s collar is programmed to send location signals twice per day, but officials have only been receiving data once every two days or so.