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Wolf Coexistence Partnership

Protecting Livestock, Saving Wolves

The Defenders of Wildlife Wolf Coexistence Partnership is demonstrating ways that conservationists and ranchers can work together to protect livestock and save wolves by avoiding and minimizing conflicts.

The program helps prevent conflict between imperiled wolves and humans by supporting the use of nonlethal deterrents and best management practices, including:

Range riders or cowboys to protect livestock
Guard dogs to alert herders and range riders of nearby wolves
Portable fencing or fladry (brightly colored flags strung across a rope or electrified wire that scare wolves) to secure livestock overnight
Nonlethal hazing techniques, such as shining bright lights or firing a loud starter pistol, to drive off wolves
Good husbandry practices, such as removing carcasses, which attract wolves
Moving livestock to grazing pastures away from wolf dens

Check out our video above, Keeping Wolves out of Harm's Way, to see some of these successful techniques in action.

The program works directly with landowners and communities to:

reduce conflicts between wolves and humans;
keep wolves from being unnecessarily killed by agencies in response to human conflicts; and
increase general acceptance of wolves across the landscape.

What Defenders Is Doing

To date, Defenders has implemented wolf and livestock co-existence projects throughout wolf ranges in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alberta, and Oregon. These include four major range rider projects in key corridor wolf conservation areas: northwestern Montana (connecting the USA and Canadian northern Rockies); Greater Yellowstone ecosystem in southeastern Montana and northwestern Wyoming; and, most recently, the first ever rider project in northeastern Oregon.

Our project partners include ranchers, state and federal agencies, livestock associations, and other conservation organizations.

In the News: Range Rider Helps Eastern Oregon Ranchers Cope With Wolves

Map of Northern Rockies Proactive Wolf Projects

Successful Coexistence in Action

Gray Wolf 2010 marks the third year of our Big Wood River Valley Wolf Coexistence Project in central Idaho. This collaborative project involves three of the biggest sheep producers, as well as numerous state and federal wildlife agencies and county commissioners in an area with a history of chronic wolf related livestock losses. Our field team works to protect the sheep using livestock guard dogs, sirens, and portable electric night corrals made from lightweight turbofladry as a way of reducing conflict, and removing the need to lethally control local wolves.

Watch the Video: Defenders' wolf expert Suzanne Stone discusses the success of the Wood River Wolf Project in central Idaho.

This year, despite more than 10,000 sheep grazing in the project area, only one sheep was killed by wolves and no wolves were killed by agency managers. This valley-wide project demonstrates the effectiveness of nonlethal deterrents used to significantly reduce livestock losses to wolves.

Our partners have voiced strong support for continuing the project into 2011 and beyond.

Lava Lake Land & Livestock (PDF)

Board of Blaine County Commissioners (PDF)

In the News:

Stopping Wolves From Killing Livestock: Could It Be As Simple as an Electrified Flag Line? (New West)

Wolf project gains county support (Idaho Mountain Express)

Future of wolf project in balance (Idaho Mountain Express)

Keeping peace in the mountains (Idaho Mountain Express)

Background

Defenders created the Wolf Coexistence Partnership to prevent conflicts between imperiled wolves and humans before they happen.

The program is a natural outgrowth of our wolf compensation program, which helped build tolerance for wolves through payments to ranchers for livestock lost to these imperiled predators.

Defenders in the Field

Defenders of Wildlife is actively involved with land and livestock owners, rural communities and outdoor enthusiasts to help foster coexistence between carnivores and humans. These measures help to reduce conflicts on the landscape and promote conservation of imperiled species.
Learn more

Featured Publications

Wolf Coexistence Partnership Factsheet
A consolidated description of common methods and tools used to prevent conflict between livestock and wolves.

“Our goal is near-zero losses of livestock and wolves using a combination of collaboration, common sense and cost-effective methods and tools.”
—Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies Representative, Defenders of Wildlife
Livestock and Wolves: A Guide to Nonlethal Tools and Methods to Reduce Conflicts
After nearly 10 years of working in-the-field with livestock producers and agency officials, Defenders of Wildlife has released this comprehensive guide that outlines a wide range of nonlethal methods that are working to reduce livestock losses to wolves. (2008)
Places for Wolves
Features Defenders’ blueprint for wolf restoration and recovery in the lower 48 states.
Protecting People, Property, and Predators