SEATTLE, Sept 29 (Reuters) – Wolf packs have attacked and killed a dozen sheep and two wildlife protection dogs on public grazing land near the Oregon-Washington border, officials said on Monday.
Wolves are listed as an endangered species both in Oregon and Washington, and both states have stringent rules regarding lethal action against the animals.
A wolf pack identified as OR28 was believed responsible for killing 11 sheep and two dogs in three attacks this month in Umatilla County, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said, and a different pack killed a calf in nearby Wallowa County.
The Umatilla County incident marked the first recorded fatal wolf attack on wildlife guard dogs in the state of Oregon, and was the first known attack on wildlife by the OR28 pack, officials said.
“We’ve had a spate recently,” Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said, adding that a “conflict deterrence plan” was being implemented in the area.
Another two possible wolf attacks on livestock were under investigation, authorities said. The reason for the uptick was not immediately known.
In Oregon, a lawsuit brought by conservationists resulted in new rules last year that makes killing wolves who prey on livestock a last resort after nonlethal measures, including sensors and guard dogs, fail to work.
At the end of 2013, there were 64 known wolves in 8 packs in Oregon and 52 wolves in 13 packs in Washington. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and David Gregorio)