Some of the animals are headed to facilities in other states.
Sandy Knox, whom authorities said is in her mid-70s, said she got her first wolf about 20 years ago.
"I love wild animals because they aren't mean or ornery like people," she said. "They just love you." As part of the bargain, Knox got to keep two bobcats and two wolves, which she named Tensquatawa and Matorca.
Authorities said her health is failing, and she was unable to properly care for such a large menagerie.
About 20 people, including authorities from Owyhee County, the Idaho Humane Society, Idaho Fish and Game and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, went to Knox's home Wednesday morning after four months of negotiations with her.
They sedated the wild animals, then delivered them by pickup truck to a garage that serves as the Murphy, Idaho, fire house. There, the animals were examined by veterinarians from four agencies and had identification microchips inserted beneath their skin.
Problems arose for Knox in October when one wolf escaped his pen and killed livestock in the area, Owyhee County Sheriff Gary Aman said.
For days, sheriff's deputies followed the local school bus because neighbors reported seeing the wolf lying in a ditch near a bus stop. The deputies eventually spotted and shot the wolf.
"If this were just dogs and cats, this would be a very low priority," Aman said. "But wolves and bobcats are a real threat to the community." Aman said the animals were in good health, but the outcome might have been different in two or three weeks. The animals' pens were deteriorating, making feeding progressively more difficult for Knox, and increasing the risk of another animal escape.
Aman said his office will continue to monitor conditions at the Knox home to ensure the remaining animals are properly cared for.
"The owner considers these animals more than pets. She calls them her children," said Aman, who said he admires her for willingly giving them up. "It took a lot for her to admit that she can no longer care for them." Some of the animals _ dogs and cats _ were taken to the Humane Society in Boise, Idaho.
Five wolves are being sent to the Wolf Education and Research Center in Winchester, Idaho; 12 wolves are headed to the Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary in Greencove Springs, Fla., Aman said. The bobcats will be kept at a facility in Utah.
Owyhee County and Idaho have rules on keeping wild and exotic pets. The county requires annual registration; the state also requires special permits.
Jeff Rosenthal, Idaho Humane Society executive director, said he supports increased regulation of wildlife and exotic animal facilities and recommends that counties ban private ownership of dangerous or exotic animals.
"While there is no shortage of individuals who desire to own animals, such as wolves and exotic cats, there are very few who are both knowledgeable and properly equipped to do so," he said. "As a result, tragic cases of neglect and suffering of captive wildlife and exotic animals are all too common."
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(c) 2008, The Idaho Statesman (Boise, Idaho).
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