Idaho game officials said Aug. 6 they would seek federal approval to kill off hundreds of wolves in their state despite a court ruling that restored protection of the animals under the Endangered Species Act.

Idaho Fish and Game officials said they remained determined to carry out a plan, nixed by the Aug. 5 court ruling, that calls for reducing Idaho’s wolf population by over 40 per cent, to 500 from 845.

One wolf pack in particular, a group of 100 animals in northern Idaho, is targeted for reduction by 80 per cent.

Montana, the second of two states where the grey wolf was ordered returned to the federal endangered species list, is likely to follow Idaho’s lead in seeking permission to thin its wolf packs.

Hunting of listed animals for sport is generally forbidden under the Endangered Species Act. But the two states would presumably seek special permits under the statute to allow for limited hunting or culling of wolf packs.

Powerful ranching interests in both states opposed reintroduction of wolves to the region 15 years ago and have continued to resist federal protection of the animals as a threat to livestock. Sportsmen complain wolves are killing too many big-game animals, like elk, that could be hunted instead.

A federal judge in Missoula, Montana, sided with conservation groups in ordering the entire Northern Rocky Mountain population of grey wolves relisted as endangered.

The grey wolf population in the Northern Rockies, including Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding region, is estimated at 1,700 animals.

Environmentalists say the region’s wolf population would have to reach between 2,000 and 3,000 individuals in order to be considered viable by international standards.