A new University of California-Davis study is giving us a clearer picture of just how costly wolves can be for ranchers.
Researchers found that a single gray wolf can cause up to $162,000 in losses due to reduced cattle weight and pregnancy rates. They also found cattle DNA in 72 percent of wolf scat samples and signs of elevated stress in herds near wolf territory. Total indirect losses could reach nearly $3.5 million across three wolf packs.
Ranchers are calling for the animals to be removed from the Endangered Species List.
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