Province kills 163 wolves in second year of controversial cull

The province has provided an update on the wolf cull in the South Selkirk Mountains and South Peace area as the program continues into its third year.

The controversial wolf cull was introduced as part of a program to help save the threatening caribou herds in the province. The wolf cull was introduced in 2015 by the Ministry of Forest, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations. The wolves are considered a threat to caribou herds and they were killed by shooters in helicopters.

Last year the province killed 84 wolves in regions that were deemed a threat. This year the province has killed nine wolves in the South Selkirks and another 154 in the South Peace region. According to the province, both the South Selkirk and South Peace herds have experienced significant losses to wolf predation. The South Selkirk herd numbered 46 caribou in 2009 declining to 12 in the most recent survey conducted in March 2016. This is a loss of six caribou since the 2014 census.

Several organizations have spoken out against and in favour of the cull, notably the BC SPCA publicly announced it was against the cull, saying the methods of killing were not humane. The organization Wildsight backs the program saying they accept the risks involved to save the mountain caribou.

Popstar Miley Cyrus has even chimed in about the wolf cull by taking to social media to question the B.C. government’s tactics.

The province has held firm with its plan to cull the wolves, insisting that hunting and trapping of wolves has not effectively reduced populations and that splitting up packs may increase predation rates on Caribou.