Posted on 12/30/2023 1:41:13 AM PST by Libloather
Ranchers say they will 'shoot on sight' if endangered wolves from Colorado cross state lines into Wyoming.
Last week Colorado Parks and Wildlife released five gray wolves onto public land in Grand County as a part of the state's voter-mandated reintroduction plan.
The predators consisted of two juvenile females, two males and one adult male and are classed as endangered - but the animals lose their 'protected' status as soon as they end up in the state of Wyoming where they are classed as predators.
There is every likelihood the wolves may end up in Wyoming given that the canines can travel up to 140 miles from where they were freed, according to the Colorado Wolf Restoration and Management Plan.
It would be mean Colorado's effort would be thwarted by the ranchers of Wyoming.
'If any of those wolves cross over into Wyoming, they're no longer protected. They're classified as predators and they can be removed,' Jim Magagna, a sheep rancher and executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, told Cowboy State Daily.
'I'm not convinced that there is any wolf or any pack of wolves that isn't capable of becoming acclimated to killing livestock,' he said.
The CPW released the first wolf pack a minimum of 60 miles away from the state border of Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and the sovereign tribal lands in southwestern Colorado.
The 60-miles is a supposed to be buffer zone that aims to prevent wolves crossing over into Wyoming, but the species is known to roam.
Magagna believes that if any livestock are killed, the ranchers will be wondering: 'Is that a Wyoming wolf or a Colorado wolf that killed my livestock?'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Reintroduce them to my lib sister’s Golden, CO backyard.
“ Right, so why not lions and leopards in Africa? Why not “wipen ‘em all out”?
I would imagine even in Africa people protect livestock from predators.
There are areas in this country where wolves could be reintroduced and have a very positive effect, especially in the reduction of feral pig populations. But then the Wolves would probably become fat and lazy devouring these juicy balls of meat.
Certainly could use them to get the feral pigs here in Texas.
I caught myself later in a post or two later.
Have no idea why they included Wyoming in the south.
Shoot, shovel, shut up.
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