BC government has announced that the wolf cull in the province has completed and a total of 84 have been killed.
Eleven wolves were shot in the South Selkirks, according to the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Of the wolves targeted, seven to 10 are being monitored to track their movement.
These wolves have yet to move into caribou areas, and therefore are not targets.
In the South Peace, 73 wolves were killed, with the majority being in the vicinity of the Moberly and Quintette caribou herds. In one instance, six wolves were killed as they actively stalked 14 caribou.
The province achieved their goal by using sharp shooters in a helicopter, an action widely criticised by many organizations – including Pacific Wild.
The B.C. government says the South Selkirk herd declined from 46 in 2009 to 14 in a 2015 survey.
“Hunting and trapping of wolves has not effectively reduced populations and may even split up packs and increase predation rates on caribou,” explains the ministry of its decision. “Habitat recovery continues to be an important part of caribou recovery but cannot address the critical needs of these herds in the short-term.”
Agencies/Canadajournal