Utah official says dead animal likely not a full wolf
The Associated Press
Salt Lake Tribune
PROMONTORY – An animal shot after being seen among livestock in northern Utah probably was a wolf-dog hybrid, not a wild wolf, a wildlife expert said Tuesday.
The light-colored animal was spotted at a ranch Saturday in Box Elder County and killed by the landowner Sunday as it pursued livestock, said Kevin Bunnell, mammal program coordinator at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Photos were shown to five wolf experts who all agreed it wasn’t a wolf, Bunnell said.
Among the reasons: legs that were too slender, feet that were too small, and a lack of bulk typically associated with wolves.
The only way to know the animal’s origins is to conduct a DNA test. Bunnell said that decision will be up to federal agents because the animal was killed in an area where wolves are still classified as an endangered species.
“It’s probably a hybrid but that ranges from 98 percent wolf and 2 percent dog to 98 percent dog and 2 percent wolf,” Bunnell said. “Where is it in that spectrum? Who knows?”
The case is a reminder about the importance of identifying animals before shooting them, Bunnell said.
Gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains were removed from the endangered species list earlier this year. The rule lifts federal protections for any wolf that wanders into the northeast portion of Utah. They’re protected in the rest of the state.
A wolf was found dead in a coyote trap in Box Elder County about 18 months ago. It wouldn’t be a surprise for another wolf to make it to that area again, Bunnell said.