REPUBLIC, Wash. -- The wolf population in Northeastern Washington is on the rise, and while their protection has been a priority for one guest ranch just south of Republic, Washington, these wolves are creating a huge problem.
K Diamond K Ranch has always been a place of serenity where people and animals can come to relax, but according to Kathy McKay, who owns and operates the ranch, the last few months have been anything but peaceful.
"They're all hungry, and I feel like we're just the dog dish," said McKay. "This is the worst it has been."
McKay says wolf packs have been taking aim at their pastures, leaving dozens of livestock dead within the last couple of weeks.
McKay says they are surrounded with no end in sight.
"We came over the edge every morning, and there was bloodshed," said McKay.
The wolves have killed horses, alpacas, donkeys, pigs, deer, and more.
According to Seth Thompson with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, they have identified a new pack in the area that could be contributing to the problem.
His agency even recently caught one wolf but had to release her due to existing protocols.
"We have to have two non-lethals in place for a reasonable amount of time that haven't worked, or they have shown they are not going to work with this particular ranch, then we would consider lethal control at that point," said Thompson.
Kathy has also called on nearby Colville tribal members for help.
Some have been surveying the land, and others, like Josephine Pakootas and her mother, are taking night shifts to ensure the wolves don't attack.
"Non-tribal members don't have enough rights to protect their own land, and they are not given enough rights to protect their animals, and so I'm out here to protect a family's way of life," said Pakootas.
Tribal members have different treaty rights when it comes to hunting wolves, and while Josephine says their goal is never to kill them, all she says is when a pack is this much of a threat, they can help and, in turn, rebalance the predator and prey relationship.
"It's supposed to go back and forth, but with all of this food readily available, that relationship doesn't work very well," said Pakootas.
Going forward, Kathy says all she wants is the peace in the pasture to return, but right now, she is having a hard time looking forward unless the wolf problem is addressed.
"I personally would love to see them all eliminated. They're bad dogs, and if they're a ghost in the woods, we can coexist," said McKay.
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Негізгі бет "This is the worst it's been" Wolves take aim at Republic ranch livestock
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