Editing Wolf (section)

==== Predation on livestock ====

[[File:The Allendale Wolf.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black and white photograph of a dead wolf with "The Allendale Wolf" written on the bottom|A 1905 postcard of the [[Hexham wolf]], an escaped wolf shot for killing livestock in England]]

Livestock depredation has been one of the primary reasons for hunting wolves and can pose a severe problem for wolf conservation. As well as causing economic losses, the threat of wolf predation causes great stress on livestock producers, and no foolproof solution of preventing such attacks short of exterminating wolves has been found.{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=305}} Some nations help offset economic losses to wolves through compensation programs or state insurance.{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=309}} Domesticated animals are easy prey for wolves, as they have been bred under constant human protection, and are thus unable to defend themselves very well.{{sfn|Mech|1981|p=173}} Wolves typically resort to attacking livestock when wild prey is depleted.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Levy|first=Max G.|date=December 11, 2020|title=These Non-Lethal Methods Encouraged by Science Can Keep Wolves From Killing Livestock|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/these-non-lethal-methods-encouraged-science-can-keep-wolves-killing-livestock-180976505/|access-date=2020-12-16|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}</ref> In Eurasia, a large part of the diet of some wolf populations consists of livestock, while such incidents are rare in North America, where healthy populations of wild prey have been largely restored.{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=305}}

The majority of losses occur during the summer grazing period, untended livestock in remote pastures being the most vulnerable to wolf predation.{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=307}} The most frequently targeted livestock species are sheep (Europe), [[Reindeer herding|domestic reindeer]] (northern Scandinavia), [[goat]]s (India), [[horse]]s (Mongolia), [[cattle]] and [[Domestic turkey|turkeys]] (North America).{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=305}} The number of animals killed in single attacks varies according to species: most attacks on cattle and horses result in one death, while turkeys, sheep and domestic reindeer may be killed in surplus.{{sfn|Mech|Boitani|2003|p=306}} Wolves mainly attack livestock when the animals are grazing, though they occasionally break into fenced enclosures.{{sfn|Graves|2007|p=45}}