HANSEN, Wis (WSAW) — Waking up in the morning only to discover that the majority of your livestock was killed overnight is a farmer’s worst nightmare.

Unfortunately, that was the harsh reality for a farmer in Wood County on Monday.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a farmer in the Town of Hansen, near Wisconsin Rapids, reported 13 of their sheep were killed overnight.

Investigators were sent to the scene to examine the cause of death and determined that a pack of wild wolves had killed the sheep. Only one survived the attack. It’s unclear how many wolves were involved.

“The Department of Natural Resources does provide compensation for this type of damage,” explained Dan Hirchert who a wildlife biologist with the USDA. “The owner of this livestock will receive compensation.”

In Wisconsin, wolves are listed as endangered species, which means farmers are not allowed to kill or attempt to kill a wolf even if their livestock may be endangered. If a farmer believes their livestock may be endangered, they are asked to contact the USDA.

The Wisconsin DNR tracks wolf attack reports. Click here to view the 2019 Wolf Depredation Reports.

In May, there was a similar situation on a farm in Price County in which 40 sheep were killed by a pack of wild wolves.

If you fear this may happen to you or it has, use these numbers to seek assistance:

Northern Wisconsin:
1-800-228-1368
715-369-5221

Southern Wisconsin:
800-433-0663
920-324-4514

Read the original version of this article at wsaw.com.