Yellowstone's wolves are in crisis, and Wyoming wants to keep hunting them.

A devastating outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) has driven Yellowstone's wolf population to its lowest point in 20 years. Only 84 wolves remain in the park, down from 108 just last year. Pups were hit hardest: only 17 percent survived in Yellowstone — the worst rate since 1996. In the famous Wapiti Lake pack, one of the most studied wolf packs in the world, every single one of last year's 10 pups died. Researchers still don't fully understand why this outbreak spread so fast or so far.

Wyoming has taken one small step, cutting the 2026 hunting quota from 44 wolves to 22. But that's not enough. Every year, wolves that wander outside Yellowstone's boundaries become legal targets for hunters. At a moment when the population is this fragile, allowing any hunting to continue puts the entire recovery at risk. The park's wolves need a full pause, not a half-measure.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce have the authority to suspend the 2026 wolf hunting season until scientists understand what drove this outbreak and the population has stabilized. Sign this petition to demand they act now — before Wyoming's hunting season opens on September 15 and costs Yellowstone wolves they cannot afford to lose.