Ranchers in Wyoming have said they will shoot on sight if wolves released by neighboring Colorado enter their territory.
The five gray wolves were released in a remote part of the Rocky Mountains on December 18 by Colorado Parks and Wildlife as part of a program to increase their numbers, Fox News reported.
The canines are native to Oregon and some are believed to be involved in livestock slaughter in their home state.
Wyoming has a shooting policy, a “predator zone,” that covers most of the territory and allows ranchers to shoot wolves immediately if they cross the border and threaten livestock.
“They are considered predators and can be eliminated. “I'm not convinced that there is a wolf or a pack of wolves that can't get used to killing livestock,” said Jim Magagna, a sheep farmer and vice chairman of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.
The state of Colorado, in turn, plans to release 30 to 50 wolves over the next five years.
Some hunters also worry that wolves could reduce populations of elk and other large animals that predators like.