Killing of calf highlights tension with wolves in Calif.
By John King, San Francisco Chronicle
A calf was likely killed and eaten by wolves in Siskiyou County last month, state wildlife officials said — the first reported case of the endangered predators dining on ranchers’ livestock and an incident that may raise tensions over wolves’ reappearance in California.
The killing of the calf prompted the first “livestock depredation investigation” since a wolf crossed into California from Oregon in 2011, marking the first evidence of a wild wolf in the state since 1924. The apparent attack involved the “Shasta pack,” which consists of two adult wolves and five pups.
The 48-page investigation report — which includes color photos of the two rear legs that were all that remained of the carcass — was released Friday. It comes as the state takes public comments on a comprehensive draft plan for how wolves, which were classified as endangered in California in 2014, might be managed as they multiply.