ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – Federal investigators have concluded that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has mishandled a program to return the endangered Mexican wolf to the wild.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Department of Interior Office of the Inspector General’s investigation backs up claims made by Catron County in a 2013 that the service was not cooperating with cattle ranchers when protecting the wolves.

The investigation found the service protected the wolves even after they preyed on cattle, did not tell residents when wolves were near and did not fully compensate ranchers for cattle killed by wolves.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman John Bradley says the service has been working to improve work with the county and that the issue is considered resolved.