Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Estimated Costs of Maintaining a Recovered Wolf Population in Agricultural
Regions of Minnesota
Abstract
The annual costs of maintaining Minnesota gray wolves (Canis lupus),
now numbering about 2,500, under 2 plans are compared: (1) maintaining a population
of about 1,400 primarily in the wilderness and semi-wilderness as recommended
by the Eastern Timber Wolf Recovery Plan, and (2) allowing wolves to continue
colonizing agricultural areas for 5 years after removal from the endangered
species list, as recommended by a consensus of wolf stakeholders (Minnesota
Wolf Management Roundtable). Under the first plan, each year an estimated 27
farms would suffer livestock losses; wolves would kill about 3 dogs; 36 wolves
would be destroyed; and the cost per wolf in the total population would be $86.
Under the second plan, conservative estimates are that by the year 2005, there
would be an estimated 3,500 wolves; each year 94-171 farms would suffer damage;
wolves would kill 8-52 dogs; 109-438 wolves would have to be killed for depredation
control; and the annual cost averaged over the total population would be $86
for each of the 1,438 wolves living primarily in the wilderness and an additional
$197 for each wolf outside the wilderness.
Key words: Canis lupus, economics, endangered species, population,
predator control, recovery, wildlife damage, wolf
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