Two wolves trapped after Clay County rancher reports they took calves

CLAY COUNTY, Minn. — U.S. Department of Agriculture officials say they have killed a pair of gray wolves suspected of hunting livestock in Clay County. A Glyndon area rancher said the pair of wolves trapped this week took five of his calves. The USDA said the two wolves caught were male and female. Wolves once roamed the region's prairie. But today's agricultural landscape makes it difficult for them to thrive, said Nicole Lee of the Red River Zoo in Fargo, which has a wolf pack. So where did the pair come from? "There has been, historically, a few packs in the Tamarac National Refuge near Detroit Lakes. I'm sure that's more than likely where they came from," Lee said. She said wolves will occasionally wander off to start their own packs as this pair may have. The gray wolf's range has expanded as conservation efforts have stabilized the once endangered animal's population. Despite this, Lee said wolf packs are unlikely to become a serious problem for local farmers and ranchers. "It's not highly likely they will be able to establish a large number of packs in the Clay County area," Lee said. abc

There are 2,278 wolves in 439 packs in Minnesota, all under the jurisdiction of the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, and there are several farm and ranch organizations in the state, but the media consults a ZOOKEEPER for this article about wolf predation on livestock.