"Idaho Authorizies Sheriffs Deputies To Kill Wolves"

"The state of Idaho has authorized sheriff's deputies in a tiny mountain town to kill wolves blamed for preying on pets and elk, a spokesman for the state fish and game department said on Tuesday.

The move marks the second of two wolf kills sanctioned by Idaho less than two weeks after federal protections were lifted from most wolves in the Northern Rockies and states, including Idaho and Montana, resumed management of the animals.

For the first time since wolves were reintroduced to the region in the mid-1990s, the state is permitting sheriff's deputies to kill a pack of about seven wolves near Elk City, a community of 200 residents in north central Idaho.

Wildlife officials say the wolves are in close proximity to people and appear to have no fear of human communities."

Laura Zuckerman reports for Reuters May 19, 2011.