Department reports wolf depredations on rise in Gila National Forest

A report released by the Arizona Game and Fish Department last Friday indicated a sharp rise in incidents of wolves killing cattle in the Gila National Forest, home to the endangered Mexican gray wolf reintroduction plan. “During the month of April, there were 37 confirmed wolf depredation incidents on livestock,” the report said. “From January 1 to April 30 this year, there have been a total of 77 confirmed and five probable wolf depredation incidents in New Mexico and 11 confirmed depredation incidents in Arizona.” These numbers show a sharp increase over past years. In the same period last year, there was a total of 29 confirmed livestock depredation incidents involving wolves and 12 confirmed wolf livestock depredation incidents in April 2018. Last year’s numbers overall marked an increase in cattle kills by wolves, something that had not been as great an issue in preceding years, despite the wolf population growing. Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity understands ranchers’ concerns but blames the depredations on U.S. Fish and Wildlife policy. He points to the wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park as an example of a program that addresses some of the causes for cattle kills by endangered wolves. A major problem, he said, is that wolves will scavenge the carcasses of cows that died on their own — carcasses which are often near live cows. “If wolves are drawn to an area by attractants [i.e., dead cattle] and it becomes a problem where wolves are then killing cattle, then the wolf is still not defined as a ‘problem wolf’ — the government said ‘we are not going to penalize the wolves’ for something they do naturally,” Robinson said. The Mexican gray wolf reintroduction plan in southwest New Mexico and Arizona does not address this, according to Robinson. “The government has required nothing from livestock owners to prevent such predations. Some owners do take measures, but many do not. “Fish and Wildlife has recognized that carrion on the landscape could threaten the reintroduction,” he said. “We asked Fish and Wildlife to do something about this and they refused.” “The Center for Biological Diversity finds fault in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s not taking these steps, and we recognize this makes it difficult for livestock owners in the Gila,” Robinson said. An official said that wolf depredations because of cattle carcasses was an issue — but that the most of the depredations this year were not related to attractants like cow carcasses. Depredations tailed off in May. Nearly all the wolf depredations on livestock this year took place in Catron County, with a few exceptions in Greenlee and Apache counties in Arizona. It’s no coincidence that most of the Mexican gray wolves in the Gila are concentrated in sparsely populated Catron County, with only a few living outside of it. The issue that ranchers point out is that in the vast Gila National Forest on grazing allotments, not all cattle kills are found. Many just disappear and do not qualify for compensation when there is no carcass to confirm whether the loss was due to a wolf or not. Some of the suggestions from groups like the Center for Biological Diversity are already a part of the wolf reintroduction plan, but they are voluntary measures. Ranchers aren’t required to address the issue of attractants when grazing their cattle, though some do, applying recommendations like localizing cattle — actively providing hay, for example, to keep cattle in one area — or keeping cattle close to human settlements...MORE

Isn't it amazing this reporter has all this information from Robinson and CBD, but no information or quotes from a rancher or livestock organization.