Wolf Trust Sheep - Sheep Subsidies - Depredation - Highland Farming - Highland Sheep - Highland History Main Point Research on wolf depredation shows it is not catastrophic but is exacerbated by lack of shepherding. Web Address www.wolftrust.org.uk Email Address Wolf Trust

Depredation "...like man himself, wolves must sacrifice other creatures in order that they themselves might survive." Mech (1970)          (At least people can opt to be veggies!) Wolves must kill to eat. Courtesy Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center & L David Mech. Depredation How much livestock do predators kill in Britain? How do you know a wolf killed an animal? Depredation Depredation is the main problem worldwide for the reintroduction of any large predator. It is the number one problem for the wolf reintroduction in the Highlands. Farmers fear wolves will ignore fleet-footed deer and go for the slower sheep. The question is to what extent will depredation occur? North America:  Most wolf research comes from North America, where about forty percent of the world's (roughly 150,000) wolves live. The research shows that where wolves and livestock share the same range: wolves generally take few livestock - usually less than 0.1 percent per year on average over large regions; impact few livestock ranches - usually less than 1 per cent per year; depredation is negligible to the livestock industry (Fritts et al 1992). This shows that wolves do not necessarily slaughter livestock. Why they do not is a question that has yet to be fully answered. Western Europe:  Spain and Italy were the only countries in western Europe with surviving wolf populations. Now their wolf numbers are growing (totalling around 3,000) they have attracted research on depredation. Researchers conclude that the main factor influencing sheep depredation in both countries is the style of sheep management (Blanco 2000; Ciucci et al 1998). Sheep in Spain roam the mountain region largely unshepherded (like the Scottish Highlands) and depredation is ten times higher than in the lowlands, where sheep traditionally are guarded by day by shepherds and enclosed at night; twenty per cent of wolves live in the Spanish mountains but cause eighty per cent of losses (Blanco 2000). Similarly, in the Tuscany region of central Italy, most sheep depredation involves flocks unattended by shepherds (Ciucci et al 1998). Wolf Trust Conclusion:  It is becoming clear, as depredation is increasingly researched, that wolf depredation is not necessarily catastrophic (and also not an easy problem to solve). Therefore, it is unlikely the worst fears of farmers in the Scottish Highlands will be realised, that wolves will gobble up all their sheep. On the other hand, with present sheep management (sheep largely unshepherded), depredation can be expected to be much higher than if the sheep were guarded by shepherds. Shepherds work in the Highlands but they are too few in number and flocks too big to guard the sheep effectively. -- Also see the points 3) & 4) on About Wolves Top of page How much livestock do predators kill in Britain? Figures are available for lambs. Up to four million lambs die every year in Britain because of poor husbandry, according to the Ministry for Agriculture (MAFF 1995) - now renamed DEFRA. Ninety percent die from disease, exposure, starvation and birth problems. The Ministry of Agriculture combines misadventure (hit by cars, stuck in fences, sat on by the ewe, etc) with depredation from all species of predator. Depredation, therefore, amounts to something less than five per cent of losses. Wolf Trust Conclusion:  These figures show that lamb depredation is a relatively minor problem nationally - although it can be important to a number of farmers who suffer more than average loss. The Ministry of Agriculture say many lambs would survive with better husbandry. Therefore, in general, if livestock farmers provided better husbandry they would save many times the number of lambs killed by predators. Top of page How do you know a wolf killed an animal? You cannot know, unless you find a wolf with a smoking gun bending over the body. So, carefully examine the surroundings: Search the ground for paw marks (wolf prints cannot be distinguished from large dog prints). Distinguish depredation from scavenging (wolves scavenge animals who die from other causes, such as ill health or accident): Haemorrhages beneath the skin, as on neck, throat, back and hindquarters, indicate a struggle, because only live animals haemorrhage when bitten. Distinguish depredation by wolves from other predators. Certain wounds suggest a wolf: Large livestock: bites and large jagged wounds on flanks, hindquarters and upper shoulders. Sheep and calves: bites on head, neck, throat, back and hindquarters. Feeding on viscera and hindquarters. Most of carcass eaten. Large bones broken and chewed. Carcass torn open and scattered from successive meals. Size and spacing of puncture wounds match wolf canines. Weigh up your conclusions, make a decision, and hope you are right. Top of page References Blanco J C (2000): Large Carnivore Damage in Spain. Carnivore Damage Prevention News, 1, 5-6. Ciucci P & Boitani L (1998): Wolf and dog depredation on livestock in central Italy. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 26 (3), 504-514. Fritts S H, Paul W J, Mech L D & Scott D P (1992): Trends and management of wolf-livestock conflicts in Minnesota. US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Publications 181. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. Mech L D (1970): The wolf. Natural History Press, Garden City, New York. MAFF (1995): Improving Lamb Survival. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. (Type Improving Lamb Survival in the search box and look for the title: Defra - Animal Welfare - Improving Lamb Survival. (Originally issued as a 14 page booklet.) Page revised 3.02