The U.S. government rescued wolves from extinction over 35 years ago. Now, critics say the government has completely changed course and is engineering the wholesale slaughter of grey wolves in several states.
Since the gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list in several states three years ago, Predator Defense estimates about 2,800 wolves have been killed in 6 states. And there are only about 5,000 grey wolves left in the lower 48 states! Wolf hunting is allowed in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Critics say wolf hunting is vicious and violent, and that it's driving wolves to the brink of extinction once again. Sport hunters shoot these wolves, sometimes from helicopters. These poor wolves--and even household pets--get caught in traps and suffer long, painful deaths.
Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--which is under the Interior Department-- is proposing the removal of federal protection of wolves in all but 2 states! In a statement, they told us:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been at the forefront of the conservation efforts that led to the spectacular recovery of the gray wolf, one of our nation’s most iconic species, and we have no intention of seeing those efforts be reversed. Although the gray wolf is not returned to all its former range or numbers, according to the letter of the Endangered Species Act, it is no longer in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future, and so it is incumbent upon us to remove it from federal protection. This is what we have proposed to do. This means that the remaining populations of wolves will revert to state management as those in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes did in 2011 and 2012. This will enable us to devote our limited resources to the Mexican wolf, whose population still needs the protections afforded by the Act.
The ESA requires that we continue to monitor wolf populations for a minimum of five years after delisting, and should the population fall below recovery levels, we could and would re-list the wolf again.
Jane speaks to President of the Humane Society of the United States Wayne Pacelle about wolf hunting, and how you can help stop it.
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Since the gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list in several states three years ago, Predator Defense estimates about 2,800 wolves have been killed in 6 states. And there are only about 5,000 grey wolves left in the lower 48 states! Wolf hunting is allowed in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Critics say wolf hunting is vicious and violent, and that it's driving wolves to the brink of extinction once again. Sport hunters shoot these wolves, sometimes from helicopters. These poor wolves--and even household pets--get caught in traps and suffer long, painful deaths.
Now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--which is under the Interior Department-- is proposing the removal of federal protection of wolves in all but 2 states! In a statement, they told us:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been at the forefront of the conservation efforts that led to the spectacular recovery of the gray wolf, one of our nation’s most iconic species, and we have no intention of seeing those efforts be reversed. Although the gray wolf is not returned to all its former range or numbers, according to the letter of the Endangered Species Act, it is no longer in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future, and so it is incumbent upon us to remove it from federal protection. This is what we have proposed to do. This means that the remaining populations of wolves will revert to state management as those in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes did in 2011 and 2012. This will enable us to devote our limited resources to the Mexican wolf, whose population still needs the protections afforded by the Act.
The ESA requires that we continue to monitor wolf populations for a minimum of five years after delisting, and should the population fall below recovery levels, we could and would re-list the wolf again.
Jane speaks to President of the Humane Society of the United States Wayne Pacelle about wolf hunting, and how you can help stop it.
Source
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