Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has erected an iron wire fence more than 100km long to prevent wild wolves invading from the Mongolian People's Republic to the north.

Wolves have raided livestock at Alxa, on the border, with one local herder claiming 16 of her sheep were killed and eaten by wolves in February and March.

From 2006 to this year, 41 households at Alxa lost more than 600 sheep and about 300 camels, which led to an economic loss of nearly 800,000 yuan (US$116,804).

Herder Hao Chengrong lost more than 40 camels and 50 sheep, the equivalent of 100,000 yuan. Bai Wenjun, a security official at Alxa, said there was an increase in the number of wolves after the government implemented a policy to return livestock farming land to grassland.

Wolves are listed as a second-class national protected animal and hunting them is banned, Bai added.

(Shanghai Daily August 26, 2008)