BILLINGS, Mont. — Gray wolf numbers rose across most of the Northern Rockies last year but dropped in Montana after a concerted effort by officials there to drive down the population and curb livestock attacks.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday reported that a minimum of 1,783 wolves in more than 300 packs roamed the six-state region at the end of 2014.
That’s a 5 percent population increase from the prior year. More wolves were tallied in Wyoming, Idaho, eastern Oregon and eastern Washington.
In Montana, wolf numbers dipped 12 percent, to 554 animals. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported livestock attacks by the predators dropped to their lowest level since 2008.
No wolves were counted in Utah.
Wolves were widely exterminated last century across most of the Lower 48.
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