State agricultural officials killed three gray wolves in the north-central part of Utah on Jan. 9 in an effort to prevent the predators from establishing breeding pairs in the state. This was the first time the state has killed wolves in the region since 2010. Jolley says the wolves were killed to comply with the Utah Wolf Management Act, which mandates wildlife officials prevent wolves from forming packs in the state. A coyote hunter mistakenly shot and killed a wolf in 2014 in the Tushar Mountains in southcentral Utah, says Jolley. Other regional states including Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming and Washington have also declined to provide wolves.