Pups born to Oregon wolf packs

While judges on the Oregon Court of Appeals consider whether to authorize state biologists to kill two wolves for preying on livestock, the Imnaha pack has been going about its business, producing four pups this spring.

At least two and perhaps all four of the packs in Oregon have produced pups this year, bringing Oregon much closer to a milestone in restoring the predators wiped out to protect livestock.

But the state is still a long way from winning ranchers over to the idea of more wolves.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife decided to shoot the alpha male and one other wolf from the Imnaha pack last fall to reduce their attacks on Wallowa County livestock, but conservation groups sued, claiming that would violate the state's wolf restoration plan.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press