WildEarth Guardians

Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Scientists and Groups Call to Save National Park Wolves

At Least 17 Park Wolves Killed
Contact: Wendy Keefover 303 573-4898 x1162

Denver, CO. Over 6,000 people from around the world, along with over 30 scientists and groups sent letters yesterday to federal and state officials calling for emergency shooting closures near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the Wind River Reservation in an effort led by WildEarth Guardians. To date, at least 15 Yellowstone and two Grand Teton National Park wolves have been shot by hunters, including the Yellowstone’s most famous wolf mother, Wolf 832F.

“The loss of Yellowstone’s wolves is particularly devastating for millions of Yellowstone wolf watchers and costly to the biologists who have spent decades and millions of taxpayer dollars to study them,” said Wendy Keefover, Director of WildEarth Guardians’ carnivore protection program. “This blood sport on America’s wolves is a shocking waste of our national treasure,” she emphasized.

Wyoming’s “wolf management plan” allows for unregulated wolf killing in over 80 percent of the State, while it permits “trophy hunting” in twelve small hunting zones. The plan allows for only 100 wolves to survive outside Yellowstone National Park and the Wind River Indian Reservation, or for a total Wyoming population of 150.

To date, livestock producers, Wildlife Services, and hunters in Wyoming have killed 102 Wyoming wolves, or nearly one-third of the population, which had numbered 328 at the end of 2011. The numbers of wolves killed by poachers remains unknown, and not all the livestock protection kills for the year have been reported at this time.

“Given the level of wolf killing in Wyoming, the state may actually trigger a relisting of wolves under the Endangered Species Act if it falls below a total population of 150 animals,” said Bradley Bergstrom, Professor of Biology from Valdosta State University.

Wolf hunting and trapping undermines 20 years’ of conservation efforts, hinders long-term study projects, harms taxpayers who funded this research, and harms millions of wolf-watchers. Biologists have demonstrated that wolf hunting and trapping disrupts families of wolves, who are closely bonded to, and dependent upon each other for their very survival. Killing causes packs to disband and causes yearlings and pups to starve, leading to even greater mortalities.

“The Obama administration handed wolf stewardship over to the states, and it’s been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster,” stated Keefover.

View the Sign-On Letter to Federal Officials frrom Scientists and Conservation Groups

View Letter to State Officials from over 6,000 citizens