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Dec. 7, 2002
U.S. orders death for 2 gray wolves
By Thomas Stauffer
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued an order to kill two Mexican gray wolves, the first time such a call has been made since the endangered animals were reintroduced in Arizona.
The wolves have killed at least five cattle and as many as 50 more in the Apache National Forest near upper Eagle Creek over the last three years, said Brian Kelly, Mexican wolf recovery coordinator for the service.
A coalition of 15 conservation, religious and animal protection groups has called on Interior Secretary Gale Norton to rescind the order.
Meanwhile, a member of the ranching family affected by the predation says she'd prefer the wolves be relocated rather than shot.
The wolves have been taking cattle since the family bought the ranch three years ago, said Darcy Ely.
"We've been protesting to Fish and Wildlife that we've seen problems with the program," she said. "We've been telling them that they've put too many packs in here and the wolves are learning to kill cattle and depend on them, and it's just punishing the wolves."
The latest survey by the service confirmed 37 wolves in eight different packs in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico, with the service estimating the total number of wolves at 50 to 60, Kelly said.
The federal reintroduction program, begun in 1998, has been supported by environmental groups, but opposed by many local residents and ranchers concerned about their personal safety and the predation of livestock.
The decision to kill the wolves on the Ely ranch is a last resort, as the service has tried everything to remedy the situation, Kelly said.
"We've monitored them, tried to trap them, used aversive conditioning, which is trying to scare them away with noises, and we tried to dart and net them with a helicopter last week," he said.
When the service started the reintroduction program, "We made the commitment that if we had a problem with wolves, we would remove them," Kelly said. "Although this is very distasteful to some, this is nothing new, we always said that we might have to do this."
Environmentalists argue that the decision to kill the wolves, the most imperiled mammal in North America, will set back recovery efforts and set a dangerous precedent.
"These wolves don't have radio collars on them, so they were born in the wild," said Kim Vacariu, southwest representative for the Wildlands Project. "To set back the program and kill wolves that are actually adapting to the wild, I think that's an egregious situation."
The Elys bought their ranch in Eagle Creek after Mexican gray wolves had been introduced near there. The area has long been known for predation of cattle by lions and coyotes, said Michael Robinson, coor-dinator of carnivore conservation for the Center for Biological Diversity.
"This is an area that's a very difficult place to protect cattle, and this is the only grazing allotment stocked this late into the year," Robinson said. "And these people bought a ranch after there were already wolves in the area, so they can't claim this was forced on them."
Kelly said that the decision to remove problem wolves - just as problem mountain lions and bears are removed - shouldn't hinge on when someone buys a ranch.
"One could argue that they know what
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