The growing population of gray wolves in Russia’s northern republic of Yakutia has killed more than 1,700 domestic reindeer since the beginning of the year, a spokesman for the republic’s veterinary department said on Thursday.
“Usually, wolves attack reindeer grazing on pastures,” he said, adding that 1,760 reindeer, more than one hundred horses and five cows have been killed by wolves since the beginning of 2012.
The size of the wolf population in Yakutia, currently about 4,000, exceeds the target level at least threefold. The population is increasing by about 500 new wolves each year.
The annual damage the wolves inflict on Yakutia’s livestock is approximately 147 million rubles ($5 mln). The local authorities have allocated 17.75 million rubles ($600,000) this year to control wolf population.
