Zoom in: The story behind one of the 7,000 animals killed by cyanide bombs

 

In northeastern Oregon, the Shamrock wolf pack was once small but mighty. Six spunky wolves took great care of their brothers and sisters to sustain the pack. But one day, everything changed for the pack: A cyanide bomb exploded, killing a one year-old wolf.1 The scene was horrifying. A curious wolf caught a whiff of an interesting smell. He leaned in, when suddenly -- a horrible, explosive noise. A cloud of cyanide. A wolf coughing and gasping until he took his last breath. This scene -- one where innocent wildlife gets poisoned by cyanide -- is utterly horrific and heartbreakingly common. Every year, cyanide bombs force 7,000 animals to endure sudden, painful deaths.2 The bombs are indiscriminate killers, too -- they kill dozens of pets right in front of their owners, leaving physical and psychological wounds on these unsuspecting pet parents. And animals aren't the only victims -- children and adults have been injured, too.3 Surely, after tens of thousands of wild animal deaths and dozens of pets and their parents suffering needlessly, we'd be steering clear of these lethal bombs -- right? Wrong: Across the country, Wildlife Services is still deploying the very bombs designed to bait wildlife with the smell of food, lure them in, shoot poisonous cyanide into their snouts, and cut their lives short.4 The consequences of even one death from a cyanide bomb can haunt these wolf pups and their packs for years. That's exactly what happened to the Shamrock pack. Soon after losing their beloved brother, the pack didn't survive. They were completely lost just a year after their brother's death.5 For years, people like you have joined our calls to put a stop to these senseless cyanide bombs. Now, thanks to wolf and wildlife defenders like you, we're drumming up support for a law that would ban these bombs. Thank you for making this important work possible, The Environmental Action team P.S. If you give today, you'll help fuel our work to protect wolves and wildlife from meeting short, senseless ends. Will you donate today to help protect wildlife and the lands they call home? 1. Andrew Theen, "Feds kill wolf in Wallowa County on private land with cyanide trap," OregonLive, March 2, 2017. 2. Ryan Knappenberger, "Conservationists demand ban on 'cyanide bombs' in national forests," Courthouse News Service, October 23, 2024. 3. Jimmy Tobias, "The secretive government agency planting 'cyanide bombs' across the US," The Guardian, June 26, 2020. 4. Ryan Knappenberger, "Conservationists demand ban on 'cyanide bombs' in national forests," Courthouse News Service, October 23, 2024. 5. "Shamrock Pack," Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, last accessed on August 6, 2025. Your donation will be used to stand up for wildlife and the wild places they call home, and to support all of our campaigns to protect our environment. The generosity of people just like you is what makes all of our work possible.