'Basically helpless': Manitoba farmers say their sheep are being repeatedly targeted by wolves

A pair of Manitoba farmers say sheep at their farm are being repeatedly targeted by wolves.

A pair of Manitoba farmers say sheep at their farm are being repeatedly targeted by wolves.

Rhonda Heinrichs and Ian Leaman farm out in the village of Ethelbert, located roughly 60 kilometres north of Dauphin. They said four years ago, wolves began attacking their animals.

“They would jump into the pens, or get into the pens, however, they chose by scooting under the gate or jumping into the pens or digging under, and we started losing sheep,” Heinrichs said, noting 18 were killed in one attack, and they lost 60 ewes that year.

So far this year, the farm has lost approximately 30 sheep to wolves.

“They're in their pens, they're basically helpless, they can't get away, they can't run away,” Heinrichs said. “They're confined. And these animals are getting in and killing them. And I would say 90 per cent of the time [they are] not consuming any of the carcasses, just killing them and leaving them blank. So it's not because they're hungry. It's because they are looking for something to kill.”

Heinrichs and Leaman have put in safety measures in an attempt to deter the wolves, including higher fences and covering up feed. They said their neighbours have also been dealing with similar issues and attacks.

“My biggest concern is, so if we continue keeping these livestock in, in such a manner that there is no other way for these wolves to get in at my sheep, then what's the next thing they're going to go after?” Heinrichs said. “Are they going to go after the calves and the pens next to them? Are they going to go into town and take somebody's pet dog?”