BOISE -- Federal Wildlife Service agents are searching for two wolves they believe killed 11 sheep in the Boise Foothills.
Idaho Fish and Game gave the agents permission to kill the two wolves if they are found.
An attack on one ewe and two lambs will bring the total of animals killed to 14, if it is confirmed to be a wolf attack.
The wolf attacks began on May 5, and have been happening about every five days since then. The most recent attack happened on May 24 in Hulls Gulch.
Officials have been patrolling the area in a plane, trying to find the wolves responsible and shoot them from the air.
An agent is also on the ground, using tape-recorded wolf calls to attract them.
Wildlife officials say they know the sheep were killed by wolves rather than coyotes or any other animal, because of the way they were killed.
George Graves, assistant state director for Wildlife Services, says wolves attack sheep by biting their back and neck area, breaking the vertebrae.
Graves believes the wolves they are looking for are dispersers, which are usually 2- to 3-years old and trying to establish their own territory.
