The point man for British Columbia’s effort to save endangered mountain caribou says a controversial wolf cull will likely be necessary for the next five years.
Assistant deputy minister Tom Ethier told CBC News the 180 wolves being shot from helicopter in the South Peace and South Selkirk regions this winter are just the beginning.
“We’ve been pretty clear this is a five-year project,” Ethier said. “We’re going to be doing this for the next five years. At the end of those five years, we’re going to do that analysis as to whether this effort was worth it.”
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Ethier says the exact number of wolves killed in subsequent winters will depend on how quickly they repopulate the areas they’re removed from.
“The purpose and the hope is that we are able to remove nearly all the wolves in these areas where we are trying to recover caribou,” Ethier said.
Caribou under threat
In B.C.’s northern Rocky Mountains, four of seven mountain caribou herds are on the verge of being wiped out, with just 70 animals among them.
The southernmost herd in the Selkirk region has fallen to 18 from 46 animals five years ago.
via CBC News – B.C. wolf cull will likely last 5 years, assistant deputy minister says.