Picking up the tab for wolves
The Defenders of Wildlife, which pays ranchers for livestock killed by wolves, paid more than $68,000 in the 12-month period that ended in October.
The organization established a special fund for the payouts in 1987 to ensure that ranchers were compensated for livestock killed by wolves, which were reintroduced into the Yellowstone National Park ecosystem in 1995.
Payments have grown from $7,480 in 1996 to the record set in 2003. Nina Fascione, the organization’s vice president for species conservation, said the increase was expected as the wolf population grew but added that it was a much lower figure than originally predicted.
Since the fund was established, the Defenders of Wildlife has paid for 377 cattle and 897 sheep killed by wolves.
-- J. Michael Kennedy
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