UNEXPECTEDLY: California wolves are eating much more cattle than wild prey, study finds.

The return of the wolf in California has been met with joy by conservationists, who delight in the improbable population rebound, and with fury by ranchers who bemoan the toll on their cattle.

Now, a new study on the diet of gray wolves suggests that the population regrowth is a result of the animals feasting on cattle, as their natural prey sources remain comparatively scarce.

Researchers at UC Davis found cattle DNA in 72% of wolf scat samples collected in the summers of 2022 and 2023.

By comparison mule deer, the primary natural prey for wolves in California, appeared in 45% of samples, and small mammals appeared in 51% of samples.

“Whether it’s through scavenging or whether it’s through depredation, [cattle are] a huge component of the wolves’ diet,” said Tina Saitone, lead study author and professor in the UC Davis Agricultural and Resource Economics Department. “Their conservation success is because of livestock producers in the state.”

Whether it’s in California or here in Colorado, I’m convinced that wolf reintroduction is just another way for lefties to stick it to conservative ranchers.