An escalating wolf population and excessive predation rates on livestock and caribou has prompted the Alberta government to resort to using strychnine to poison the animals.
However, reducing the population by shooting or trapping the animals is usually the first approach, a fish and wildlife spokesman says.
“It’s fair to say alternative methods are usually used first before we consider to the use of poison,” said Clark Merriman, acting director for the Fish and Wildlife enforcement branch in the prairie area.
Merriman said the government encourages licensed fur trappers and hunters to kill targeted animals, as well.
“We have also used leg hold traps and neck snares and have captured several wolves using these methods,” he said. Landowners are legally allowed to shoot wolves on their land.
When strychnine is ingested by a wolf on an empty stomach, the poison works fairly quickly to become lethal, although there is some pain associated with the death, he said.
He said it is unlikely other animals would ingest the poison directly but may suffer from secondary poisoning if they scavenged the carcass.
“We remove carcasses daily when there is poison out and we are very strict about this requirement,” he said.
Poison baits are removed once the wolf population is reduced or the wolves have left the area, he added.
Merriman said a number of the wolves in the area north of Rimbey were discovered to be suffering from mange, (a skin condition resulting in fur loss) meaning they will eventually die from winter conditions and difficulty in obtaining food.
Wolves with mange are more likely to prey on livestock which is an easier species to kill than wildlife for them, said Merriman.
He added signs set up at the entrance of Town Creek Natural Area (south of Winfield) were posted as a result of a wolf control program. The program was initiated in response to a complaint from a farmer in the area who was concerned that wolves had attacked his livestock. Once it was determined the deaths were caused by wolves, action was taken.
“If we don’t remove the wolves, we open ourselves up to criticism but we also need to protect the wildlife. It is difficult to strike a balance.”
Jessica Potter, spokesperson for Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, said Alberta’s estimated wolf population of 7,000 is the highest it has been in 50 years.
“Wolf populations have also recently expanded into some new areas of the province. Given their thriving populations, wolf populations need to be appropriately managed to reduce predation on vulnerable species, such as caribou, and to reduce predation on agricultural animals.”
Potter said department personnel are trained in the use of population control tools including toxicants and follow federal and provincial regulations.
Myrna Pearman, well-known biologist, and site service manager of Ellis Bird Farm, believes poisoning the wolves to be inhumane.
After discovering signs at the entrance of Town Creek Natural Area stating poison baits had been set out to control coyotes and wolves, she wrote a letter to Environment Minister Diana McQueen.
The poison baits could also attract non-target species, resulting in more unnecessary suffering and death, she said.