Wildlife biologists ramp up efforts to avert more wolf kills

Wildlife biologists regard the killing of four cattle in the Fort Klamath area of Klamath County as "unusual" and "disturbing," but they believe the wolves pose no threats to humans and the biologists are ramping up nonlethal efforts to stave off future livestock losses. Harming wolves is prohibited by federal law in the western two-thirds of Oregon, where wolves are protected as endangered species. "We don't even want to talk about lethal measures," said John Stephenson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife biologist. "What we're trying to do is stop it with nonlethal measures. When you have a flurry of incidents, you don't jump to lethal measures." He believes the Rogue Pack, which includes the wolf known as OR-7, is responsible for the four confirmed kills. But none of the wolves in the pack, which includes OR-7's mate and wolves born the past three years, have radio collars that help track the location of wolves...more