Swatting at wolves comical

Lloyd Zimmerman’s comparing wolves (Nov. 24) to mosquitoes is comical.

For your information, wolves display the intelligence of highly effective predators. They are great at problem-solving and work well in groups or independently. Wolves are able to understand kinship hierarchies within their pack structure.

Lots of taxpayer money was spent in eradicating and painstakingly reintroducing wolves into our ecosystem, where they belong.

Great amounts are being wasted using helicopters to kill wolves for the benefit of sheep and cattle ranchers that abandon their herds on public lands to feed and survive like wild animals, without human supervision.

That money should be spent in collaboration with ranchers and Defenders of Wildlife to adopt positive methods of wolf control like those described in The Spokesman-Review Nov. 18 article “Shepherds of Peace.” That article gives insight into an effective and successful experiment to deter wolves from killing easy domestic prey.

Kudos to ranchers who are willing to participate and invest in nonlethal deterrents to protect their herds, recognizing that wolves have a claim to their territories and should be allowed to coexist.

Thanks, S-R, for capturing and sharing this important subject on the preservation of our wild species.

Cecilia Nolthenius

Coeur d’Alene