A county sheriff in Washington state says he'll ignore the law and let wolves be gunned down. He wants the Big Muddy pack, which formed just last year, eradicated.
The Center for Biological Diversity took legal action to save wolves in Washington state.
The Big Muddy pack formed in 2022 when a male wolf wandered into Klickitat County in southwestern Washington and joined with a female companion. They're expected to have pups and play an important role in the recovery of wolves in the state.
Wolves in Washington are protected in that part of Washington by both federal and state laws, but the country sheriff says he'll ignore the Endangered Species Act and won't arrest anyone who harms wolves. It's outrageous.
The Center petitioned the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission earlier this year to force it to implement rules on how the state wildlife department manages wolves. The commission ruled against us — so now we're appealing directly to the governor.
The state's trigger-happy approach to wolves has left a trail of destruction. Since 2012, 44 Washington wolves have been killed by the state wildlife department working on behalf of the livestock industry. Nine more have been gunned down by livestock owners.
We've been fighting for these wolves for years and aren't about to back down, especially in the face of persecution and cruelty.