Opposition to the provincial announcement of a wolf hunt conducted by helicopter to reduce numbers in order to protect the endangered mountain caribou population in the Selkirk mountain region has been swift to arrive.
The Ktunaxa Nations says it is deeply concerned about the plan.
“We are worried that this approach to conservation is extremely hasty,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair. “We are deeply concerned about the very low numbers of caribou in the south Selkirk, but we believe that management efforts should focus on increasing the population of caribou. Wolves are not the primary cause of the caribou population decline in the region and killing wolves at this scale will have to continue for many years to effectively reduce the risk of wolf predation. Killing one species of animal to benefit another species is contrary to Ktunaxa stewardship values.”
Teneese says the caribou may be better served by a multi-faceted approach which includes restriction of access to and restoration of key caribou habitat, decreasing vehicle mortality and establishing breeding programs, including maternal penning.
“”This approach requires cooperation and commitment from all partners in Ktunaxa territory. We support monitoring of predation impacts, however, we strongly feel that these actions are a narrow and short term approach
via BCLocalNews.com – Wolf cull opposed by Ktunaxa, Wolf Centre.