by Eric Mortenson, Capital Press
Indiscriminate shooting or trapping of wolves and coyotes is a bad idea, and producers should strive for balance in the rangeland ecosystem, says Temple Grandin, the Colorado State University livestock handling and animal welfare expert.
“You may take out the wolf that is leaving the cattle alone,” Grandin said.
“The sensible thing to do is probably in between the rancher who says get rid of all the wolves and the environmentalist who says never take any wolves out,” Grandin said. “You want to take out the animal that’s developed a taste for lamb or beef.”
Grandin, whose insights on animal behavior caused livestock slaughterhouses to adopt calmer and more humane handling methods, expanded on points she made in a February article for Beef Magazine,
Among other things, Grandin believes ranchers can help cattle re-learn predator defense instincts such as bunching up instead of running.
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Source: Capital Press
