Reports of wolf attacks on their sheep by some herders in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region following record-breaking snowfalls have led experts and netizens to urge a cautious approach to deal with the pack animals which are under State protection.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that a pack of starving wolves attacked herders' sheep in the region's Xilingol League.

Qian Shujun, a herder from the Abag Banner, said he lost five sheep in an attack and several others were wounded. "So far the loss has exceeded 5,000 yuan ($801.5) and it will be 10,000 yuan if the wounded die."

An official with Abag bureau of agriculture and husbandry told the Global Times that wolf attacks are supposed to be reported to the bureau. "We haven't received any reports of wolf attacks."

Local experts continue to dispel the myth that wolves are an extreme danger to humans. 

"Wolves rarely attack people or sheep unless they cannot find food. They may be starving due to the extreme snow we've had here," a protection office chief surnamed Yan with the region's wildlife protection center told the Global Times.

Statistics from the of Xilingol League civil affairs bureau show that snow drifts are 1.5 meters deep in some places. More than 83,500 people in the league's 11 banners and counties have been affected by the heavy snowfalls and 3,101 livestock have died.

An earlier report by Xinhua said that hungry wolves killed domestic animals in two banners in Xilingol following heavy snow and low temperatures. In 2011 more than 1,000 domestic animals were killed by wolves.

Wolves are listed in the catalog of nationally protected animals and China's Law on Wildlife Protection strictly controls their hunting. Yan told the Global Times no hunting permit has been issued since the recent heavy snowfalls. 

Xinhua's report, which was reposted on the Top News account of Sina Weibo, attracted 620 comments, with most people suggesting the apparent increase in the wolf population indicated an improving ecology in Inner Mongolia.

While some commentators said the herder's sheep were more important than the lives of wolves, others suggested non-lethal ways of dealing with the wolves.

"Wolves hardly enter the human world and pose little threat to herders. There's no need to kill them," said Yan, adding that wildlife police will help defend herdsmen against wolves and local governments will usually cover the loss from a wolf attack as required by the law.