Wyoming ranchers are up in arms after a Colorado plan to reintroduce wolves to the wild was announced recently. The controversial decision from Colorado Parks and Wildlife has caused ranchers in the neighboring state to claim that they will shoot the wolves on sight should the predator threaten the lives of their animals and livestock.
Colorado put the issue to a vote among its citizens on the ballot, and the motion was passed, so as of December 18, 5 new wolves were reintroduced to the ecosystem in the Rocky Mountains. While this move will bolster the number of wolves living in the area, regrowing a dwindling population slightly now and significantly over time, the move has received backlash from those whose livelihoods may be impacted by the animals.
Rumors have swirled among ranchers in both Colorado and Wyoming that the wolves, which were imported from Oregon, may have already grown a taste for livestock back in their original state. That, coupled with the quick ability of wolves to learn and adapt in the wild, has caused fear for the ranchers as the wolves begin their assimilation into the Rocky Mountains.
Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, spoke about the issue in a statement given to Cowboy State News. To him, the matter is clear cut, and the solution is even simpler. By Wyoming law, he claims, ranchers can shoot the wolves on sight as they are classified as a predator species.
Magagna said, “On the positive side, if any of those wolves cross over into Wyoming, they’re no longer protected. They’re classified as predators and they can be removed.” While the move has sparked outrage, it is clear that the Wyoming ranchers are on the same page about their potential response to a wolf infestation.
He also noted that while the idea that these particular animals may not yet have become accustomed to eating livestock, wolves are smart animals that will take advantage of easy prey. He said, “I’m not convinced that there is any wolf or any pack of wolves that isn’t capable of becoming acclimated to killing livestock.”
Wyoming Livestock Roundup publisher Dennis Sun also talked about the concern that ranchers are feeling this month. He thinks that residents in Colorado are becoming increasingly regretful about their decision to vote for more wolves to be released. He said, “It’s kind of a bad deal how it got crammed down everyone’s throat in Colorado. I think if they had to do it over again, they wouldn’t vote to have wolves.”
Meanwhile, the wolves at the center of this controversy have no idea that they have sparked interstate outrage with their translation to their new home. The animals have no concept of laws or state lines, which could lead to an incident should they cross over unknowingly into Wyoming. For the wolves, it will be an interesting life as they unwittingly have become a hot-button issue across the American West, with news stories being written about them frequently.
Featured image credit: By Clark, Jim (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) – [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3432900
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