Ilves ja muut suurpedot

Voyageurs Wolf Project kirjoittaa Facebook-sivullaan, että nautakarja on saatu suojattua riista-aidan ja suojelukoirien yhdistelmällä. Aita ei ole korkea mutta sudet tietävät, että sen sisäpuolella partioi koiria ja jättävät karjan rauhaan.

There were 136 verified depredations by wolves on livestock and pets in Minnesota last year, the most ever in the state. The bulk of those depredations occurred in spring, almost certainly because many wolves came out of the historically-mild winter of 2023-2024 in poor body condition and were hungry. In response to the depredations, 238 wolves were killed across the state with the intent of removing the problem individuals.

Despite these record-levels of depredations, the large cattle ranch in the middle of the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem, which has been plagued by wolf issues for over two decades, did not have a single depredation. No issues at all. In fact, there was no evidence that any wolves stepped foot on this ranch, aside from one individual who slipped on briefly after flooding blew out a chunk of fence. In fact, this large cattle ranch, perhaps the largest in northern Minnesota, is situated in the densest wolf population of not only Minnesota but in almost all of North America. As such, this ranch had constant issues with wolves killing calves for years, and in response up to 16 wolves were killed per year on the ranch. And yet, despite this, the problems continued with no end in sight.

However, this ranch has gone from a wolf haven to a wolf desert. This 180 degree change is due to a collaborative effort between the rancher, Wildlife Services, and our project, where we installed woven wire fencing around the ranch and added several Livestock Protection Dogs. This proactive, preventative, and non-lethal approach has clearly been effective. If ever there was a year when this ranch should have had issues, it was last year when depredations were at record-levels. But all was quiet. Indeed, last year was the first time in the past 20 years, per the recollection of the rancher, that he has not had issues with wolves.

Proactive, non-lethal solutions undoubtedly cost more up front but they very likely pay for themselves in the long run, especially when large parts of the funding are covered by non-profits. Most importantly, proactive solutions allow ranchers and farmers to have peace of mind knowing they don’t have to worry every night about whether their livestock will be killed by wolves. Insofar as we can see it, such proactive solutions are a win-win.

Tuo on totta että koira on iso ja riskialtis investointi. Isot eläinlääkärikulut ja ison koiran ruokintakulut. Olisiko tuolla Minnesotan hankkeessa toteutettu koira ja aita lahjoitusvaroin, näin ymmärsin.

Laumanvartijoita pitäisi saada toimintatakuulla, mutta se on hankala kun omistajakin voi pilata koiransa. Ihmistä kohtaan näillä ei ilmeisesti kaikilla ole vartiointiviettiä eli rodun valinta on tarkkaa. Ja koira on tuolla kansallispuistossa siis tarhassa eikä vapaana pihassa.