Cattle are similar to people. Many don’t thrive at high altitude. A large number even die from high altitude pulmonary edema-
The article below is about attempts to breed altitude resistant cattle. I’d rather see “slow elk” off the mountain meadows at 8500 feet or higher.
Cattle focus of high-altitude research in NM. By Melanie Dabovich. Associated Press Writer
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
“We should immediately compensate the ranchers for their losses ! It’s outrageous that nature should be allowed to take this kind of toll on the Cowboy Way of Life, jeopardizing the custom and culture of five generations!”
That is all we need, a genetic line of altitude-resistant cattle so they destroy the high altitude pristine places.
Do all predators combined kill 75,000 cattle?
You can bet the wolves get credit for every one that dies in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico – on paper at least.