Two Wolves Shot in Northwest Montana; Reward Offered

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service:

On Nov. 6, 2010, two wild gray wolves were found dead in separate locations on the Flathead National Forest in northwestern Montana. One wolf was found dead along Coal Creek Road, while the body of the other dead wolf was recovered in the Miller Creek area. Both animals appeared to have died as a result of gunshot wounds.

Killing a wolf is a violation of the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency responsible for enforcing the Endangered Species Act, is investigating the wolves’ deaths. There is a reward of up to $2,500 is for information leading to the identification and prosecution of the person or persons involved in the killing of these wolves. If you have information regarding this case, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Great Falls, Montana at 406-761-2286.

Wolfwatcher says…

This travesty is from the same people who advocate the three S ‘s, and offer ways to kill wolves on their websites instead of adhering to the law, in this case, the Endangered Species Act.  You know, many times in life we are faced with decisions that we don’t like, or don’t agree with.  What we do is intelligently and directly express out differing opinions and challenge that decision in a respectful and law abiding way.   But not the people that killed these two wolves.  The wolves did absolutely nothing but become protected under federal law once again.  This apparently angered some people with guns that decided they would take the law into their own hands.

If anyone reading this has any information as to who is responsible I would ask them to look beyond the act of killing wolves, and look at the big picture. This is not the example to be set, by breaking the law, to achieve what you want.  This is not about you.  It is about  defenseless creatures that are simply doing what they do.  It is difficult enough to survive in the wild without such interference from humans, but some humans have decided their fate was up to them, and they broke the law and now have created what I will classify as not a battle to save wolves but a war.

Advocates for wolves and all wildlife should now make their voices heard loud and clear, even Louder yet, and as with the two hunters that recently illegally killed a wolf and made it look like self defense. There in no doubt in my mind that if whoever shot these  two wolves were apprehended, they would now use this same lame excuse …self defense.   This a a flood gate waiting to burst, and it has to be stopped now!  The US Fish and Wildlife should not, and can not, accept such excuses, and enforce the Endangered Species Act to the fullest.

What I suggest is this.  Write to the US Fish and Wildlife, and even call them at the numbers provided in this story and express your disgust at this type of behavior.  Let them know you are following this and other incidents and it will not disappear with time!  Demand that they investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.  Two lives were taken, and they can never be replaced.

We need to stop this before it happens again and again and again! Take action and protect wolves at every turn.

Dave   www.wolfwatcher.org