Washington Kills Wolves, Muzzles Critics

 

           

Give Now » Terrible news out of Washington: The two remaining wolves of the Wedge pack, an adult female and an adult male, were killed by the state last week. We're heartbroken. Washington's killing of wolves is barbaric and cruel, and must be stopped. Please support our defense of wolves with a gift to the Wolf Defense Fund. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, catering to livestock operators, is out for blood. After killing a wolf from the Wedge pack just weeks ago, the state went back in and finished off the pack completely. Up to two wolves from the Leadpoint pack in Stevens County remain in danger of being killed. It wasn't just wolves that were silenced. Just a day before a Wolf Advisory Group meeting to review the state's protocol for managing these social animals, department director Kelly Susewind expelled Tim Coleman, wolves' fiercest ally on the advisory panel. Coleman had served on the advisory group since 2015 and is the executive director of the Kettle Range Conservation Group. He is the only conservation representative on the advisory group who lives and works in northeast Washington, where most of the state's wolves reside and where most livestock-wolf conflict in the state has occurred. Why was he kicked out? Because he believes wolves have a right to live in the state's forests — and he said so publicly. We've got to keep fighting for these wolves. We immediately called for the governor to reform wolf management in the state. Washington needs to get rid of its kill-first mentality and enact enforceable rules requiring livestock operators and the agency to use nonlethal measures in handling conflicts. The state's out-of-control wolf killing must be stopped. Since 2012 the state has killed 34 wolves. Nearly all were slaughtered for conflicts on public lands, with 29 killed for the same livestock owner. We'll keep fighting till the state adopts a new policy. Endangered wolves need to be protected and allowed to thrive in the wild, not have their packs destroyed one by one. Please give now to the Wolf Defense Fund so we can keep up this fight. For the wild,

Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity   P.S. Monthly supporters who give steady gifts of $10 or $20 are vital to the Center's swift and continued action to save wildlife. Do your part by starting a monthly donation.

Donate now to support the Center's work.       Photo courtesy of John and Karen Hollingsworth, USFWS. 0-0-0-0 Center for Biological Diversity P.O. Box 710 Tucson, AZ 85702 United States