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Jaguar photo by Tierra Curry/Center for Biological Diversity.
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Viewing recent news releases in the Carnivore Conservation program.
Federal Gunmen Shoot Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Pup, Target Second Wolf
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Newly released records reveal that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to kill two genetically valuable Mexican gray wolves. One of them — a 3-month-old female pup on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico — was shot from the air last week.
Read more.Pups Confirmed in Only Three of California’s 10 Wolf Packs
SAN FRANCISCO— Only three of California’s 10 known wolf families have produced pups this year, according to the California Department of Fish and Game’s quarterly update, which details known wolf information from April through June. The Department also issued a new report, which includes updated information through July.
Read more.Captured Mexican Gray Wolf Asha Released With Mate, Pups in New Mexico
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released into the wild an endangered Mexican gray wolf called Asha, along with her mate and pups. Asha was featured in National Geographic and other media for twice roaming north of Interstate 40 in New Mexico before being captured and kept in prolonged captivity for having strayed beyond the arbitrary northern boundary.
Read more.Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves Get Another Shot at Protections
MISSOULA, Mont.— A federal judge in Montana ruled today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service broke the law last year when it denied a petition to protect gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains under the Endangered Species Act. The agency must now reconsider whether to grant protections to wolves living in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, along with portions of Washington, Oregon and Utah.
Read more.Another Mexican Gray Wolf Crosses Interstate 40 in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Thirty-five conservation organizations today asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not to recapture a Mexican gray wolf who crossed Interstate 40 in New Mexico over the weekend. The wolf has returned to the area around Mount Taylor where he had previously been trapped and removed in May.
Read more.Judge to Hear Arguments on Red Wolf Endangered Species Protections
RALEIGH, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity will present oral arguments Wednesday in a federal court case that will decide whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unlawfully refused to increase federal Endangered Species Act protections for critically endangered red wolves. The wolves are currently classified as a “nonessential” population, affording them fewer protections.
Read more.Colorado’s Wolf Restoration Gets Big Boost With New Wolf Families, Pups Confirmed
DENVER— In a landmark moment for wildlife recovery, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed three new wolf families — the One Ear, King Mountain and Three Creeks packs. They join the already established Copper Creek pack, which also welcomed new pups. While the total number of pups is still to be determined there are a minimum of four pups in the King Mountain pack.
Read more.New Mexico Residents Rally at Gov. Lujan Grisham’s Town Hall to Protect Wolves
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Grant County residents will rally in support of imperiled Mexican gray wolves ahead of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s town hall in Silver City on July 17. The wolves, which live in the nearby Gila National Forest, are widely supported by locals, who want to see their recovery guided by science and not politics.
Read more.Letter Demands Release of Mexican Wolf Asha, Her Family
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Thirty-six conservation groups representing millions of members and supporters from across the United States today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the immediate release of Mexican gray wolf Asha, her mate and their five puppies. The wolf family was slated to be released on the Ladder Ranch in late June but their release has been delayed without explanation.
Read more.California’s Decade of Wolf Recovery Documented in State Report
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— A century after wolves were wiped out in California, the iconic animals have mounted a promising comeback in the state, with a small population that has grown to at least 50 wolves, according to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife report released late Wednesday.
Read more.Bill Would Remove Federal Protections From Endangered Mexican Gray Wolves
TUCSON, Ariz.— U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation this week to remove the Mexican gray wolf from the endangered species list, which would effectively end recovery efforts for this unique, highly imperiled subspecies.
Read more.Students Name Mexican Gray Wolf Pups Slated for Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Mexican gray wolf puppies born in captivity at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge received names this week taken from K-12 student submissions. The five pups — Kachina, Aspen, Sage, Kai and Aala — and their parents Asha and Arcadia are slated to be released in New Mexico.
Read more.Judge to Hear Arguments on Restoring Wolf Protections in Northern Rockies
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation and animal advocates will present oral arguments Wednesday in a federal court case that will decide whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unlawfully refused to restore federal Endangered Species Act protections to gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.
Read more.Petition Seeks Halt to Sales of Fur From Colorado’s Wildlife
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal rulemaking petition urging Colorado Parks and Wildlife to prohibit the commercial sale of furs taken from the state’s wildlife.
Read more.Three New Wolf Packs Confirmed in California
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Tuesday that three new wolf packs have been confirmed in the state. These new wolf families are the Ishi pack in eastern Tehama County, the Tunnison pack in central Lassen County and the Ashpan pack in eastern Shasta County. This brings California’s total current known number of packs to 10.
Read more.Scientists: Misleading UC Davis Wolf Article Requires Corrective Action
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Leading wildlife experts and wolf biologists today urged the University of California, Davis, to take corrective action after the school published a misleading article about wolves.
Read more.New California Wolf Map Aims to Prevent Conflict
SACRAMENTO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife today publicly launched a new mapping system to provide recent, generalized locations of collared wolves in the state. The map aims to help livestock owners know when to proactively use nonlethal conflict prevention methods to help prevent conflicts between livestock and wolves.
Read more.Injunction Sought to Protect Oregon’s Coastal Martens From Off-Road Vehicles
EUGENE, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity today asked a federal judge to protect coastal martens from huge, destructive off-road vehicle events set to take place this summer in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
Read more.New Study Demonstrates Potential for Returning Grizzly Bears to California
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California Grizzly Alliance today released a peer-reviewed study assessing the feasibility of returning grizzly bears to California. The 200-page study — Recovering Grizzly Bears in California — concludes that there are no insurmountable biological, ecological, economic, legal or policy obstacles to returning California’s official animal to the state.
Read more.Oregon’s Wolf Population Rises 15% But Illegal Killings Continue
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population grew by 15% in 2024, marking the first year of double-digit growth since 2019, according to a report released today by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The known population was 204 wolves at the end of 2024, but the number of poachings and authorized killings remains concerning.
Read more.Trump Administration Cuts Threaten Grizzly Bear Research Team
BOZEMAN, Mont.— A key grizzly scientist says the Trump administration appears to be moving toward dismantling the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team — a group of scientists responsible for long-term monitoring and research efforts on grizzly bears in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
Read more.Washington’s Wolf Population Drops By Nearly 10%
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Washington’s overall wolf population in 2024 decreased by at least 9.44% and the number of successful breeding pairs declined by 25%, according to figures released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Read more.Reward Raised to $30,500 for Info on Illegal Wolf Killing in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity and the Wolf Welcome Committee today offered a combined reward of $10,500 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing of a federally protected wolf near Sisters, Oregon. The wolf killed was the breeding male of the Metolius pack.
Read more.California Wolf Report Shows Stable Population, New Activity
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that the state currently has seven known wolf families amid changing pack dynamics and areas of new wolf activity. The department’s latest map depicts where wolves are ranging within the state.
Read more.Federal Court to Hear Arguments on Mexican Wolf Management Rule
TUCSON, Ariz.— Attorneys for conservation advocates will present oral arguments on Wednesday, March 5, in defense of Mexican gray wolves to Judge Scott Rash at the U.S. Federal District Court of Arizona.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges USDA’s Killing of Texas Wildlife
SAN ANTONIO— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program from trapping, shooting and poisoning Texas’ wildlife.
Read more.‘Wolf-gate’ Killing Dogs Trump’s Fish and Wildlife Nominee
WASHINGTON— President Trump today nominated Brian Nesvik to be the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Nesvik, the former director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, has an extreme record on wildlife issues.
Read more.Grizzlies Will Keep Lifesaving Endangered Species Protections
BOZEMAN, Mont.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today denied petitions to remove Endangered Species Act protections from grizzly bears, finding that the imperiled animals still need federal protection.
Read more.Reward Raised to $20,000 Each for Info on Three Illegal Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— The Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering rewards totaling $20,000 apiece for information leading to arrests and convictions following three separate killings of endangered wolves in Klickitat and Okanogan counties in Washington. The latest killing was announced on Friday.
Read more.More Than $65,000 Offered for Information About Illegal Killing of Gray Wolf in Colorado
GRAND COUNTY, Colo.— The Center for Biological Diversity, conservation partners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering rewards totaling more than $65,000 for information leading to arrests and convictions in the 2024 shooting death of a wolf in Colorado. The reward follows the Service’s announcement today that a necropsy confirmed a gunshot wound killed the father of the Copper Creek pack, who died after he was captured in early September.
Read more.$100,000 Reward Offered for Info on Arizona Death of Mexican Wolf
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department today announced that Hope, a Mexican gray wolf living west of Flagstaff since at least June, was found dead on Nov. 7 in the vicinity of Forest Service Road 2058 and East Spring Valley Road. Agencies and nonprofits are offering a combined $103,500 in rewards for information leading to a conviction in the case.
Read more.Wolf Supporters to Rally at New Mexico Game Commission Meeting in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES, NM.— Wolf supporters will hold a rally before the New Mexico State Game Commission meeting Friday where Mexican wolf management will be discussed. Supporters will ask the commission to work to restore lost genetic diversity in this unique and imperiled subspecies of the gray wolf.
Read more.Petition Urges Forest Service to Ban ‘Cyanide Bombs’
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, Predator Defense and scores of other conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Forest Service today to ban the use of M-44 devices, commonly known as ‘‘cyanide bombs,’’ in national forests.
Read more.Flagstaff Wolf Removal Violates Endangered Species Act, Conservationists Warn
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.—Three conservation groups today notified state and federal agencies that ongoing efforts to trap and relocate Mexican gray wolves west of Flagstaff violate the Endangered Species Act. The wolves, known as the Kendrick Peak pack, have been thriving in this area near the Grand Canyon since at least June.
Read more.Pups Confirmed in Five California Wolf Packs
SAN FRANCISCO— Five of California’s seven known wolf families have produced pups this year, according to a quarterly report published today by the California Department of Fish and Game. These 30 new pups bring the total number of known wolves in California to 65.
Read more.Wolf Supporters to Rally Friday at Arizona Game Commission Meeting in Flagstaff
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— Wolf supporters will rally Friday morning before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s regular meeting in Flagstaff to show their support for endangered Mexican gray wolves and urge the commission to reverse a plan to remove a wolf family from an area near Grand Canyon National Park.
Read more.Letter Urges Agencies to Keep Mexican Wolves in Grand Canyon Ecosystem
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— Twenty-three wildlife conservation groups today urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department not to remove a family of endangered Mexican gray wolves from just south of the Grand Canyon National Park. The agencies have announced they intended to capture and re-release the pack elsewhere.
Read more.Washington OKs Cougar Hunting Reforms, Retains Wolf’s Endangered Status
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today voted 8-1 to approve amended cougar hunting rules. Spurred by a petition from wildlife conservation organizations, the new rules aim to avoid cougar overexploitation.
Read more.Letter Urges Mexican Gray Wolves to Be Released as Families
SILVER CITY, N.M.— A coalition of conservation organizations today requested that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resume releasing captive-born Mexican gray wolf pairs together with their pups into Arizona and New Mexico. Releases of wolf families that survive and breed would diversify the wild population’s depleted gene pool.
Read more.Pup Confirmed for Colorado’s Newly Released Wolves
GRAND COUNTY, Colo.— Colorado Parks and Wildlife has confirmed one wolf pup from a pair of Colorado’s newly reintroduced wolves. This new wolf family, officially declared a pack, has been named the Copper Creek Pack.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Coastal Martens From Off-Road Vehicles at Oregon Dunes
EUGENE, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity today sued the U.S. Forest Service for failing to protect threatened coastal martens from destructive off-road vehicle activity in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.
Read more.Colorado to Reintroduce Wolverines
DENVER, Colo.— Colorado Gov. Jared Polis will sign into law today a bill to reintroduce wolverines to the state and allocate $750,000 from the Species Conservation Trust Fund for the task. Wolverines are native to Colorado but they were wiped out in the state in the early 1900s by trapping and poisoning.
Read more.Tohono O’odham Students, Elders Name Arizona’s Newest Wild Jaguar
SAN XAVIER, Tohono O’odham Nation— Students from schools on the Tohono O’odham Nation, as well as groups of elders and nearly 1,000 Tribal members, have voted to name the newest detected wild jaguar to enter the United States from Mexico. The name chosen is O:ṣhad Ñu:kudam, which means “Jaguar Protector” in the O’odham language.
Read more.Beloved Red Wolf Killed by Vehicle Strike in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C.— A beloved juvenile red wolf named Muppet has been killed by a vehicle strike, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week.
Read more.Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina Names Four Endangered Red Wolves
RALEIGH, N.C.— The Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina provided names for four critically endangered red wolves: a breeding male and female and their two daughters. They make up one of only two packs of red wolves in the wild.
Read more.Letters Urge Federal Agencies to Prohibit Killing of Wildlife With Snowmobiles
WASHINGTON— More than 60 conservation groups from across North America filed letters today urging the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to immediately prohibit the use of snowmobiles or other vehicles to run down, injure or kill wildlife on all federal lands they manage.
Read more.Washington’s Wolf Population Increased by 20% in 2023
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Washington’s wolf population increased by 20% in 2023, according to figures released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Read more.Wolf Supporters to Rally at New Mexico Game Commission Meeting in Silver City
SILVER CITY, N.M.— A colorful rally in support of endangered Mexican gray wolves will begin at 7:45 a.m. on Friday, April 19, outside the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center, 3031 Highway 180 East, in Silver City. The demonstration will include a person wearing an exquisitely designed costume of a Mexican wolf.
Read more.Zero Increase in Oregon’s Wolf Population for First Time in 16 years
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population did not grow at all last year — the first year of zero annual growth in 16 years. The known population remains at 178 wolves at the end of 2023, just as it was at the end of 2022, according to a report released today by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Read more.California’s Wolf Compensation Program Popular With Livestock Owners
SAN FRANCISCO— A new California Department of Fish and Wildlife report found that of the $3 million set aside in 2021 as part of a pilot program to compensate livestock owners for wolf-related expenses, nearly two-thirds of the funding went towards nonlethal measures.
Read more.California Senate Declares ‘Year of the California Grizzly Bear’
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— The California State Senate today passed a resolution to officially declare 2024 the “Year of the California Grizzly Bear” to mark the 100th anniversary of the extirpation of California’s official state animal. The last reliable sighting of a wild grizzly bear in California was in the spring of 1924 in Sequoia National Park.
Read more.New Lawsuit Aims to Protect Wolves in Northern Rocky Mountains
BOZEMAN, Mont.— Four conservation and animal protection groups sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying their petition to protect gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.375,000 Native Animals Killed by Federal Program in 2023
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services reported killing 375,045 native animals in 2023, according to recent data released by the program. The federal wildlife-killing program targets wolves, coyotes, cougars, birds and other wild animals, primarily to benefit the agriculture industry in states like Texas, Colorado and Idaho.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Oregon’s Coastal Martens From Off-Road Vehicles
EUGENE, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity warned the U.S. Forest Service today that it intends to sue the agency for failing to protect coastal martens from destructive off-road vehicles in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Coastal martens are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Federal Court Halts Wolf Trapping, Snaring in Idaho Grizzly Bear Habitat
BOISE, Idaho— In a victory for conservation groups, a federal judge issued a ruling late Tuesday preventing Idaho from allowing wolf trapping and snaring in grizzly bear habitat between March 1 and Nov. 30.
Read more.Survey Finds 257 Mexican Gray Wolves Living in U.S. Southwest
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the number of endangered Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest grew by 15 last year — from 242 in 2022 to 257 in 2023. Of those 257 wolves, 144 were observed or tracked in western New Mexico and 113 in eastern Arizona.
Read more.Forest Service Urged to Ban Shooting of Idaho Wolves From Helicopters
BOISE, Idaho— More than 30 wildlife conservation groups today urged the U.S. Forest Service to prohibit Idaho from paying private contractors to shoot wolves from aircraft in national forests in central and southeastern Idaho. The Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board recently approved the controversial predator control measure.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Wolves in Northern Rocky Mountains
BOZEMAN, Mont.— Four conservation and animal protection groups today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that they plan to sue over the agency’s denial of their petition to protect gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Northern Rockies Gray Wolves Denied Endangered Species Act Protection
VICTOR, Idaho— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today denied a listing petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and other wildlife conservation groups seeking federal protection for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.
Read more.New California Packs Named as Wolves Continue to Flourish
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported late Monday that it has named two new wolf packs that were confirmed in the state last summer.
Read more.Federal Officials Deny Proposal for Jaguar Reintroduction in Southwest
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to reintroduce jaguars to the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The largest cat in the Americas was first protected by the Endangered Species Act more than 50 years ago, but due to federal inaction only eight individual jaguars have been documented in the United States in nearly three decades.
Read more.Gov. Inslee Orders Rework of Washington’s Wolf-Killing Policies
SEATTLE— In a win for wolves, Gov. Jay Inslee today directed the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft new rules to guide when wolves can be killed for conflict with livestock and prioritize using nonlethal methods of conflict deterrence over killing wolves.
Read more.Federal Court in Boise to Hold Hearing Thursday on Idaho Wolf Trapping
BOISE, Idaho— Federal Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale will hear arguments Thursday about whether to halt wolf trapping in Idaho to protect grizzly bears. Grizzly bears are protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and wolf trapping risks killing or harming them.
Read more.First Five Wolves Released to Colorado’s Western Slope
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.— Colorado Parks and Wildlife has released five gray wolves on state land in Grand County. Tuesday’s release was the first of several planned to fulfill a voter-approved mandate to re-establish a population of gray wolves in Colorado.
Read more.Washington Commission OK’s Hunting Reforms for Cougars, Bears
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has voted 7-2 to approve a petition to protect cougars and bears through amended state hunting rules. As a result of the Friday evening vote, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department will open rulemaking with the goal of avoiding overexploitation and population declines and better aligning policy with agency science.
Read more.California Wolf Pack Named for Yowlumni Band of Tule River Yokuts Tribe
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced late Thursday that a wolf family in the Giant Sequoia National Monument will be officially known as the Yowlumni pack, after the Yowlumni band of the Tule River Yokuts Tribe.
Read more.Gray Wolves Win National Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— Under a settlement approved today by a District of Columbia federal court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must draft a new recovery plan for gray wolves listed under the Endangered Species Act. The draft plan must be completed within two years unless the agency finds that such a plan will not promote the conservation of the species.
Read more.$26,500 Offered for Information About Two Illegal Oregon Wolf Killings
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Wildlife Coalition, conservation partners and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering rewards totaling $26,500 for information leading to arrests and convictions following the separate killings of two wolves in Oregon.
Read more.Washington Governor Urged to Order New Rules to Reduce Wolf-Killing
SEATTLE— Conservation groups have filed an appeal asking Gov. Jay Inslee to order the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to draft enforceable rules that limit when the state can kill endangered wolves for conflicts with livestock.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Ban on Shooting Wolves From Helicopters in Idaho’s National Forests
BOISE, Idaho— Wildlife conservation groups today petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to prohibit aerially gunning of wildlife in national forests in Idaho. The petition follows the Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board’s controversial approval of proposals from private contractors to shoot wolves from aircraft across millions of acres in central and southeastern Idaho.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Science-Based Hunting Reforms for Washington’s Cougars, Bears
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Wildlife conservation groups today petitioned the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission to amend state hunting rules for cougars and bears. The legal petition asks the commission to restrict killings of these ecologically important carnivores to avoid overexploitation and population declines, and to better align policy with agency science.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges ‘Nonessential’ Designation of Last Wild Red Wolf Population
RALEIGH, N.C.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to classify the world’s last wild population of red wolves as ‘nonessential.’
Read more.Wisconsinites Seek Hounding Ban in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
MILWAUKEE— More than 800 people from Wisconsin have signed a letter calling on the U.S. Forest Service to ban hounding in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Hounding is the practice of training and using dogs to hunt and chase down black bears and other wildlife.
Read more.New Red Wolf Recovery Plan Calls for More Reintroductions, Fewer Killings
RALEIGH, N.C.— In response to a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a new recovery plan for the red wolf, the world’s most endangered canid.
Read more.Federal Plan Could Restore Grizzly Bears to Washington’s North Cascades
SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service released a draft plan today analyzing options to restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades in Washington. This step follows the Center for Biological Diversity’s successful litigation challenging the Trump administration’s 2020 termination of a previous restoration plan.
Read more.Oregon Agency Ramps Up Wolf Killing to Appease Livestock Industry
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced the killing of two members of the Wildcat pack, one of three wolf families for whom the department has issued kill orders in the past six weeks.
Read more.Four New Yet-To-Be-Named Wolf Packs Confirmed in California
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that four new packs of wolves have been confirmed in California in the past five months.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolves Receive More Protections From Government Killings
TUCSON, Ariz.— Wildlife Services, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has released a new set of standards it will use to determine the cause of livestock deaths in Arizona and New Mexico. Conservation groups have sought such changes to ensure Mexican gray wolves aren’t unfairly blamed for livestock deaths.
Read more.Only Four Collared Wild Mexican Gray Wolves Survive in Mexico
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservationists sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today warning about the severely low numbers of Mexican gray wolves in Mexico. The agency relies on the Mexican population of wolves as a buttress against extinction in the United States.
Read more.Court Ruling Signals Gray Wolves Need More Regions to Recover
WASHINGTON— A federal judge today refused to dismiss the Center for Biological Diversity’s lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, saying the agency has not met federal requirements for a nationwide gray wolf recovery plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Challenging Montana’s Wolf Trapping Program
HELENA, Mont.— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today of its intent to sue over the permitting of a Montana wolf pelt export program that may harm endangered Canada lynx.
Read more.Legal Petition Seeks Enforceable Rules to Prevent Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— Conservation groups petitioned the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission Tuesday for rules requiring the use of nonlethal deterrence measures before killing wolves. The petition comes after the commission failed to adopt similar rules last year despite Gov. Jay Inslee’s order to undergo rulemaking.
Read more.Petition Urges Interior Department to Ban ‘Cyanide Bombs’ On Public Lands
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity, Predator Defense and scores of other conservation groups petitioned the U.S. Interior Department today to ban the use of M-44 devices, commonly known as ‘‘cyanide bombs,’’ on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. These wildlife-killing devices are spring-loaded ejectors armed with cyanide powder that have injured people and inhumanely killed thousands of animals every year.
Read more.Bills Introduced to Ban Deadly ‘Cyanide Bombs’ on Public Lands
WASHINGTON— Bills introduced Tuesday by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) would ban the use of wildlife-killing M-44 devices, commonly known as ‘‘cyanide bombs,’’ on public lands. These deadly devices are spring-loaded capsules armed with cyanide spray that have injured people and inhumanely killed thousands of animals every year.
Read more.Wandering Mexican Wolf Asha Returned to Wild After Capture
PHOENIX— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it returned Asha, a well-known Mexican gray wolf, to the wilds of Arizona. She was captured last January for wandering outside of an arbitrary management zone and heading north into the southern Rocky Mountains of New Mexico. Her journey last winter broke new ground and sent her east of Interstate 25, across Interstate 40, and up near Taos.
Read more.Idaho, Wyoming Urged to Require Bear Identification Course for Black Bear Hunters
JACKSON, Wyo.— Nine conservation organizations sent letters today urging the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to require black bear hunters to take a bear identification course before getting a hunting license. Hunters continue to kill grizzlies, claiming they thought they were black bears.
Read more.Court Overturns Federal Authorization to Kill 72 Grizzlies Near Yellowstone
PINEDALE, Wyo.— The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authorization of the killing of up to 72 grizzly bears on public land just outside of Yellowstone National Park violated federal law.
Read more.Two New Groups of Wolves Confirmed in Northern California
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that two new groups of wolves have been confirmed in northern California — one in Tehama County and the other in western Lassen County. If the department designates each as a pack, they would become the fifth and sixth confirmed wolf packs in the Golden State in 100 years.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Agency Recommends Reducing Gray Wolf Protections
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today recommended that state protections for Washington’s wolves be reduced from endangered to sensitive.
Read more.Oregon’s Annual Wolf Report Reveals Only Three Additional Wolves
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population increased by just three confirmed animals in 2022 — rising from 175 to 178 wolves — according to a report released today by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. High levels of wolves killed by people likely explains the stalled recovery of the state’s wolf population.
Read more.Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Killed by Government Agents in New Mexico
SILVER CITY, N.M.— An endangered Mexican gray wolf has been killed in New Mexico by federal employees, according to a document released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Affectionately named Rusty by a middle school student in a nationwide contest, the wolf was killed on April 12, leaving behind his likely pregnant mate and several yearling pups. The Service quietly authorized the killing on March 29, 2023 — the 25th anniversary of Mexican wolves’ return to the wild.
Read more.Washington’s Wolf Population Increased Just 5% in 2022
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Washington’s wolf population increased by just 5% in 2022, according to figures released today by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. That increase is far less than what’s necessary to achieve a healthy wolf population in the state.
Read more.New Group of Wolves Confirmed in California’s Tehama County
SAN FRANCISCO— The California Department of Fish and Wildlife this week confirmed that photographs of three wolves were captured on trail cameras recently in Tehama County. The trio marks the fifth potential pack in nearly 100 years to establish itself in the state.
Read more.Injunction Seeks to Block Logging in Montana’s Kootenai National Forest
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups asked a federal court today to block logging and road construction for the large Knotty Pine timber sale project in the Kootenai National Forest. The project threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border.
Read more.Events in Arizona, New Mexico to Mark Silver Anniversary of Mexican Gray Wolves in Wild
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Public events throughout the Southwest this spring will mark the 25th anniversary of the first release of Mexican gray wolves into the wild.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Population Grew 23% in 2022
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the number of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest grew by 45 animals last year — from 196 in 2021, to 241 in 2022. Of those wolves, 136 were in western New Mexico and 105 in eastern Arizona.
Read more.Coloradans Strongly Support Wolf Restoration at Denver Meeting
DENVER— Scores of Coloradans today voiced their support for science-based, ecologically friendly wolf restoration throughout Colorado during a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission hearing on a draft wolf plan.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Colorado Wolves From Hunters at Wyoming Border
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity today notified the U.S. Forest Service of its intent to sue over the agency’s failure to protect wolves from hunters in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The lawsuit would seek a ban on wolf hunting and trapping in the entire forest, which straddles the Colorado-Wyoming border.
Read more.Legal Win Protects Minnesota’s Rare Lynx From Cruel, Indiscriminate Trapping
MINNEAPOLIS— A federal judge today ordered the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to ban most uses of strangulation snares in northeastern Minnesota.
Read more.Proposed Rule Allows for Widespread Killing of Reintroduced Colorado Wolves
DENVER— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposed wolf management rule that would allow livestock operators and federal and state agents to kill wolves. The rule would let ranchers kill wolves even on public lands, without requiring the use of nonlethal conflict prevention measures first.
Read more.State Efforts to Remove Federal Grizzly Protections Move Forward
BOZEMAN, Mont.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a finding stating that removing federal protections from grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems “may be warranted.” Removing Endangered Species Act safeguards could pave the way for the trophy hunting of grizzly bears in parts of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Read more.Removal of Wandering Mexican Wolf Dismays Conservationists
SANTA FE, N.M.— A female Mexican gray wolf known as Asha was captured in northern New Mexico by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.
Read more.Letter Urges Agencies to Let Mexican Gray Wolf Continue Northern New Mexico Travels
SANTA FE, N.M.— Conservation advocates today sent a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish urging the agencies to allow a female Mexican gray wolf to continue her wandering journey in northern New Mexico.
Read more.Petition Seeks Hounding Ban in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
MILWAUKEE— Wildlife conservation and animal protection groups petitioned the U.S. Forest Service today to ban hounding in Wisconsin’s Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Hounding is the practice of training and using dogs to hunt and chase down black bears and other wildlife.
Read more.$15,000 Reward Offered for Info on Oregon Wolf Killed Illegally in Late 2022
PORTLAND, Ore.— Wildlife conservation groups today announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal killing of a collared male wolf in Klamath County late last fall.
Read more.Minnesota Releases Final Wolf Management Plan
MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources today released its final wolf management plan, which will guide the state’s wolf conservation efforts for the next decade. It replaces a previous plan that was last updated in 2001.
Read more.Petition Seeks Jaguar Reintroduction, Habitat Protection in New Mexico, Arizona
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to reintroduce jaguars to the Southwest. The largest cat in the Americas was put on the endangered species list 50 years ago, but because of federal inaction, only a single known wild jaguar now survives in the United States.
Read more.Heavy Reliance on Wolf Killing in Colorado’s Draft Management Plan
DENVER— Colorado Parks and Wildlife today unveiled a draft restoration and management plan for wolves in the state. But the proposed plan allows for wolves to be killed frequently and would let the state remove protections before a sustainable population is established.
Read more.Endangered Wildlife Win Protections From Lead on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— A federal judge today ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take measures to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges. The protections include phasing out the use of poisonous lead ammunition and tackle at several refuges across the country.
Read more.New Lawsuit Demands National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today challenging the failure of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a national gray wolf recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.New Washington Wildlife Commission Policy Forecloses Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 on Friday to adopt a policy that forecloses spring black bear hunting, effectively ending the hunt unless the commission votes to reverse its decision in the future.
Read more.$51,400 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Poisonings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced today an increased reward of $51,400 for information leading to a conviction in the illegal poisoning deaths of six wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.Federal Officials Release Final Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Plan
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its final revised Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan with court-ordered measures to lower deaths, including those caused by illegal killings. Mexican gray wolves are one of the most endangered canids in the world, with only 196 counted in Arizona and New Mexico earlier this year.
Read more.New Red Wolf Recovery Plan Needs Public Input
RALEIGH, N.C.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued a revised draft recovery plan for the red wolf, the world’s most endangered canid, following a 2020 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity. The plan proposes several beneficial actions the federal government should take, including the establishment of new populations and ways to reduce human-caused wolf deaths.
Read more.Dozens of Conservation Groups, Scientists Call on New York to Protect Wolves
ALBANY, N.Y.— Nearly 40 regional and national conservation groups and leading independent scientists sent a letter today urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to take concrete steps to protect wolves returning to the state.
Read more.New Wolf Family Seen in Northern Oregon’s Cascades
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported Monday evening that a new family of wolves was photographed by biologists from the Confederated Tribe of the Warm Springs using a trail camera in August. The wolf family consists of two adults and two pups.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Grizzlies from Expanded Grazing in Montana’s Paradise Valley
MISSOULA, Mont.— Nine conservation organizations filed a lawsuit today to challenge the U.S. Forest Service’s 2021 decision to authorize expanded livestock grazing on six allotments on the east side of Montana’s Paradise Valley. The allotments lie just north of Yellowstone National Park in occupied grizzly bear habitat.
Read more.Video: California Wolf Who Journeyed to Oregon Likely a Father
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a report today announcing video footage of the den site of what could be a relatively new wolf family in southwestern Oregon. This is the first known modern-day instance of a California wolf dispersing to Oregon and likely starting a family.
Read more.Federal Safeguards Urged For Colorado Wolves in 2023 Reintroduction
DENVER— The Center for Biological Diversity has urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to limit the killing of wolves that will be reintroduced in Colorado in 2023. The federal protections — requested in a Center letter sent this week — would override a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plan, which could allow for the widespread killing of wolves.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched Seeking National Gray Wolf Recovery Plan
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that it intends to sue over the agency’s failure to develop a national wolf recovery plan as required by the Endangered Species Act. The planned lawsuit would seek to require the Service to draft a recovery plan that includes all populations of wolves in the contiguous United States.
Read more.New Report Outlines Blueprint for Rewilding American West
SAN FRANCISCO— A first-of-its-kind analysis by 20 leading scientists has identified a network of 11 federally owned reserves where wolves and beavers could be restored across the western United States. Restoring these keystone species could also improve degraded habitat relied on by 92 threatened and endangered species, including the Gunnison sage-grouse and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.
Read more.Lawsuit Seeks to Restore Federal Protection to Northern Rockies Wolves After Government Misses Deadline
VICTOR, Idaho— Wildlife conservation organizations sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for missing its deadline to decide whether gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Washington’s Failure to Enact Wolf Management Rules
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Five conservation groups filed a lawsuit today asking a state court to enforce Gov. Jay Inslee’s order directing state wildlife officials to enact wolf management rules. The rules should have outlined what steps must be taken before wolves can be killed for conflict with livestock.
Read more.Petition Seeks to Withhold Federal Funding From Montana, Idaho Over Wolf-Killing Legislation
BOZEMAN, Mont.— A petition filed today by 27 conservation groups calls on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to disqualify Montana and Idaho from receiving millions of dollars in federal conservation funds because of the aggressive anti-wolf legislation the states enacted in 2021.
Read more.Pups Confirmed in Two California Wolf Packs
SAN FRANCISCO— Two of California’s three existing wolf families, the Lassen pack and the Whaleback pack, have again produced pups this year, according to a quarterly report published late Tuesday by the California Department of Fish and Game.
Read more.DNA Test Confirms Another Wolf Killed in New York
ALBANY, N.Y.— A recent DNA analysis of an 85-pound canid shot by a hunter in central New York in December shows that the animal was a gray wolf. According to the Maine Wolf Coalition, at least 10 other wolves have been killed south of the St. Lawrence River, once thought to be too great a barrier for wolves to cross.
Read more.New Wolf Pack Confirmed in Western Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported today that a new wolf pack has established itself in the Upper Deschutes wildlife management unit in Klamath and Deschutes counties. Not yet named, the wolf family gave birth to at least five pups this year, which were photographed on July 4 by a department trail camera.
Read more.Conservationists, Wildlife Advocates Propose Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan
DENVER— A group of 14 conservation and wildlife organizations, led by WildEarth Guardians, today put forward their “Colorado Wolf Restoration Plan” as a science-based proposal to guide wolf reintroduction and recovery in Colorado following the passage of Proposition 114 in 2020. The plan focuses on bringing about the immensely positive ecological, economic, and social opportunities for Coloradans and the Colorado landscapes that have been missing wolves for so long by ensuring a self-sustaining, robust population of wolves throughout the Western Slope.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Fish and Wildlife Service’s Inadequate Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Efforts
TUCSON, Ariz.— Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court challenging a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management rule that fails to provide for the recovery of the Mexican gray wolf, among the most endangered mammals in the United States.
Read more.Appeal Challenges Federal Plan Authorizing Killing of 72 Grizzlies Near Yellowstone
PINEDALE, Wyo.— The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed an appeal today challenging a federal plan authorizing the killing of up to 72 grizzly bears to accommodate livestock grazing in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Yellowstone National Park.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Finalized to Eliminate Population Cap
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Meeting a July 1 court-ordered deadline in litigation brought by conservationists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today finalized a rule that ends its 2015 regulatory commitment to remove from the wild all endangered Mexican gray wolves above a population cap of 325.
Read more.Rural New Mexico County Votes to Stop Funding Federal Wildlife-Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Grant County commissioners voted 2-1 against renewing a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program last Thursday because the federal agency, which kills carnivores on behalf of the livestock industry, ignored requirements within its last contract.
Read more.$30,000 Reward Offered for Info on Washington Wolf Killings
SEATTLE— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $30,000 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the illegal killing of four wolves in northeastern Washington earlier this year.
Read more.Court Restores Wolverine Protections While Agency Reconsiders Endangered Species Decision
MISSOULA, Mont.— In a victory for wolverines, a Montana District Court decided late Thursday to restore the species as a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The court agreed with conservation groups that wolverines need additional protections while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reconsiders its 2020 decision not to protect the species as threatened or endangered.
Read more.Massive Kootenai National Forest Timber Sale Challenged by Conservation Groups
MISSOULA, Mont.— Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service today to stop a large timber sale in the Kootenai National Forest that threatens a small and imperiled population of grizzly bears near the Montana-Canada border. The groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue it, as well.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Rule Eliminates Cap on Population, Restricts Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed today that it will eliminate its current population cap of 325 Mexican gray wolves that are allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest. Today’s announcement follows a 2018 legal victory by conservation organizations. In the same decision, the agency rejected science-based reforms that would increase genetic diversity at a faster rate.
Read more.First Red Wolf Pups Born in Wild Since 2018, Raising Hope for Brighter Future for Species
ALBERMARLE, N.C.— For the first time in four years, a litter of pups has been born into eastern North Carolina’s struggling population of wild red wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program staff confirmed this week that six pups were born to a wild red wolf pair in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The Service announced late Thursday night that the new litter includes four females and two male pups.
Read more.Oregon’s Wolf Population Increases by Only Two After Year of Poaching Deaths
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s wolf population increased by two confirmed animals in 2021 — from 173 to 175 wolves — according to a report released today by the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. There were 21 reported packs in 2021, while the number of breeding pairs decreased by one for a total of 16.
Read more.Federal Officials Revise Plan to Recover Endangered Mexican Gray Wolves
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Responding to a legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will release a draft revision to its 2017 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan. The new draft, which will be released Thursday, is intended to provide measures to reduce human-caused mortality that the 2017 plan lacked.
Read more.More Than 200 Wolves Reported in Washington in 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The official Washington wolf population numbers released today show a statewide total of 206 wolves in 33 packs, with 19 successful breeding pairs. The state Department of Fish and Wildlife documented 30 wolves killed by people in 2021, up from 16 last year.
Read more.Arizona Game and Fish Fails to Ban Spring Bear Hunting With New Guidelines
PHOENIX, Ariz.— The Arizona Game and Fish Commission finalized new five-year hunting guidelines today that offer slightly better protections for mountain lions and bears but still fail to give the animals a fair chance, allowing hound hunting and a spring bear hunt to proceed.
Read more.Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers Rose to Just Under 200 Last Year
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The population of endangered Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico grew by 10 animals last year, from 186 animals in 2020 to 196 in 2021. While this represents an overall increase, the pace of recovery is being hampered by illegal killings, disease, and genetic mismanagement.
Read more.400,000 Native Animals Killed by Federal Program Last Year, New Data Shows
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services reported killing 404,538 native animals in 2021, according to new data released by the program today. The federal wildlife-killing program targets wolves, coyotes, cougars, birds and other wild animals, primarily to benefit the agriculture industry in states like Texas, Colorado and Idaho.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Again Votes Down Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-4 today against a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The vote by the commission, which oversees the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, is the second related to this year’s season. It follows an attempt by hunting groups to reverse the original November 2021 suspension of the hunt.
Read more.Five Years After ‘Cyanide Bomb’ Injures Idaho Teen, Efforts Continue to Ban Deadly Devices
WASHINGTON— This week marks the fifth anniversary of an Idaho teen nearly being fatally poisoned by an M-44, commonly known as a “cyanide bomb.” The incident received worldwide media coverage and spurred federal and state efforts to ban these wildlife-killing devices.
Read more.Last Rattlesnake Roundup in Georgia Replaced by Humane Wildlife Festival
ATLANTA— Following advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and conservation allies, the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup will hold its first ever wildlife-friendly event this Saturday, March 5. The revamped roundup in Whigham, Georgia, will celebrate snakes instead of collecting and butchering them for their meat and skins.
Read more.$22,500 Reward Offered for Info on Illegal Killing of Wolf in Northeast Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal-protection groups announced a combined $22,500 reward today for information leading to a conviction in the killing of a collared wolf outside the town of Cove in Northeast Oregon.
Read more.Federal Court Restores Gray Wolf’s Endangered Species Act Protection
OAKLAND, Calif.— A federal judge today restored protection to gray wolves, reversing a Trump-era rule that removed Endangered Species Act protection from the animals across most of the country. Today’s ruling prohibits wolf hunting and trapping in states outside of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Read more.Red Wolf Recovery Program to Resume in Earnest, Raising Ray of Hope for Survival
RALEIGH, N.C.— After years of litigation and advocacy by the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday night that it is revitalizing the effort to save the red wolf from extinction. In an online meeting, the Service announced that it is redoubling its efforts to ensure that the red wolf not only survives in the wild but makes a full recovery.
Read more.Mr. Goodbar, Famed Wandering Wolf of Borderlands, Shot in New Mexico But Survives
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The endangered Mexican gray wolf who spent five days pacing along the border wall in New Mexico before turning back was found shot but alive Wednesday.
Read more.Gov. Inslee Makes Three New Appointments to Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission
OLYMPIA, Wash.— Gov. Jay Inslee appointed three new members to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission today. These new commissioners — Tim Ragen, John Lehmkhul and Melanie Rowland — will complete the nine-member body that makes decisions regarding management of the state’s fish, wildlife and other resources.
Read more.$16,500 Reward Offered for Info on Wolf Killed Illegally in Oregon’s Wallowa County
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation groups announced today a $16,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the illegal shooting death of a two-year-old collared female wolf in Wallowa County in early January. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Turn in Poachers (TIP) division also offers a potential $300 reward for information regarding illegal wolf killings.
Read more.Wandering Mexican Gray Wolf in New Mexico Blocked by Border Wall
SILVER CITY, N.M.— In the first documented instance of the U.S.-Mexico border wall separating two endangered wolf populations, a Mexican gray wolf — likely in search of a new home and mate — was blocked at the border in New Mexico last month. The wolf’s GPS collar periodically beamed his locations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which last week released them to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Read more.Legal Victory Compels Federal Wolf Trappers to Address Risks to Minnesota’s Endangered Lynx
MINNEAPOLIS— In response to legal action by the Center for Biological Diversity, two federal agencies have agreed to analyze and mitigate the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by the trapping of Minnesota’s wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Another Endangered Southeast Washington Wolf Killed Despite No New Livestock Conflicts
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today that a livestock owner in southeast Washington killed a juvenile wolf on Dec. 8, despite the lack of any new livestock conflicts since Nov. 15. An adult male wolf from the same pack already was killed by the agency Nov. 18.
Read more.Lawsuit Challenges Idaho Wolf Trapping Laws That Endanger Grizzlies, Lynx
BOISE, Idaho— Thirteen conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging Idaho’s extreme wolf-trapping rules, which facilitate the slaughter of up to 90% of Idaho’s gray wolf population. The lawsuit contends that continued and expanded wolf trapping and snaring will injure and kill non-target grizzly bears and Canada lynx, which are federally protected species.
Read more.Reward Increased to $36,000 for Info on Fatal Poisoning of Eight Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Three conservation groups have added $10,000 to the reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year, bringing the total award to $36,000.
Read more.$26,000 Reward Offered for Info on Fatal Poisoning of 8 Gray Wolves in Eastern Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore.— Conservation and animal protection groups are offering a combined $26,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the deliberate poisoning and killing of eight gray wolves in eastern Oregon earlier this year.
Read more.Lawsuit Aims to Protect Endangered Wildlife From Massive Sport Hunting, Fishing Expansion on National Wildlife Refuges
WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to protect endangered wildlife harmed by expanded hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges across the country.
Read more.California’s Epic Traveling Wolf OR-93 is Dead After Vehicle Strike Along I-5
SACRAMENTO, Calif.— State wildlife agency officials announced today that OR-93, a radio-collared male wolf from Oregon who first entered California on Jan. 30, has died after being struck by a vehicle along Interstate 5 in Kern County.
Read more.Biden Administration Urged to Consult Tribal Nations on Gray Wolf Management, Protection
WASHINGTON— Following the conclusion of last week’s White House Tribal Nations Summit, more than 60 conservation groups today called for the Biden administration to immediately relist the gray wolf and engage with Tribal nations on wolf management and protection.
Read more.Washington Wildlife Commission Suspends Spring Bear Hunt
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The state of Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 4-4 today to suspend a proposed 2022 spring bear-hunting season. The spring hunt, which the commission reviews annually, required a majority to authorize, so the tie vote puts the hunt on hold.
Read more.Federal Judge to Hear Arguments on Removal of Federal Protection From Gray Wolves
OAKLAND, Calif.— Conservation advocates will present oral arguments Friday in U.S. District Court in a case that will decide whether federal Endangered Species Act protection is restored to gray wolves across much of the country.
Read more.Federal Proposal Would Eliminate Cap on Mexican Gray Wolf Numbers, Restrict Killing
SILVER CITY, N.M.— Following a 2018 legal victory by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed today to eliminate its population cap on the number of Mexican gray wolves allowed to live in the wild in the Southwest.
Read more.Oregon Kills Nearly All Remaining Members of Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials today announced that the agency killed three more members of the Lookout Mountain Pack, including a yearling and two pups too young to hunt, in response to conflicts with livestock in Baker County.
Read more.Court Rules Federal Officials Must Address Poaching of Mexican Wolves in New Recovery Plan
TUCSON, Ariz.— In response to a lawsuit by conservation groups, a judge has ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must add specific actions to address illegal killing of Mexican wolves to its plan for the species’ recovery.
Read more.Lawsuit Launched to Protect Minnesota’s Lynx, Wolves From Federal Trappers
MINNEAPOLIS— The Center for Biological Diversity notified two federal agencies today of its plans to sue for inadequate analysis of the risks to federally protected Canada lynx caused by trapping of wolves by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program.
Read more.Biden Administration Defends Wildlife Services’ Killing of Wolf Pups in Idaho
BOISE, Idaho—The Biden administration defended the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services’ actions in Idaho in a letter Tuesday after the agency preemptively killed eight wolf pups from Idaho’s Timberline pack in response to complaints from a rancher grazing livestock on public lands.
Read more.Federal Officials Urged to End States’ Wildlife Management Funding in Response to Extreme Wolf-Killing Programs
WASHINGTON— State game agencies could lose a substantial portion of their budgets for eradicating their wolf populations under a proposal put forward by the Global Indigenous Council, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the Center for Biological Diversity and a coalition of 25 Native American, conservation, and animal welfare organizations. The plan would deny federal wildlife management funding to states that excessively target predators, such as wolves, cougars and grizzly bears.
Read more.New Study: Tiny Minority of Local Poachers Is Driving Red Wolves to Extinction
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— A new study published in the journal Biological Conservation finds that poaching of red wolves is driven by a small minority of individuals who live in eastern North Carolina’s Red Wolf Recovery Area. The study indicates that the species enjoys robust local support among the general population, but a small group of local poachers has been effective in driving the species to the brink of extinction.
Read more.Oregon Expands Kill Order for Lookout Mountain Wolf Pack
PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have expanded orders that authorize the killing of up to six members of the Lookout Mountain pack, including yearlings and 5-month-old pups. The latest kill order could leave the pack with just a single radio-collared female adult.
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