For the first time in generations wolf populations are on the rise in Washington state.
In 2008 a Conservation Northwest volunteer captured the first images of wolves born in the state since the early 1900s. Since then their numbers have more than quintupled. And this is just the start.
“In terms of what we’ve seen in the Rocky Mountain states — Idaho, Montana and Wyoming — we’re at kind of a threshold number in terms of what we’ve seen in prior years,” said Dave Ware, wolf policy lead administrator at the Washington Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (WDWF).
In those cases, wolf populations increased exponentially once they crossed the 50-wolf mark. Today, the department has confirmed at least 52 wolves living in Washington, mostly living in the northeastern part of the state. At the rate they’re currently breeding, the agency anticipates wolves could reach state recovery objectives as early as 2021.
Ware presented the findings to a joint House and Senate committee Jan. 14. Although they paint a pretty picture for wolf populations, their re-emergence doesn’t necessarily spell good news for everyone.
Especially not for ranchers.
via State’s wolf population increasing; predatory incidents also climbing – Bellevue Reporter.