Wildlife Organizations Offer $51k Reward For Leads on Death of 6 Endangered Gray Wolves Poisoned in Washington

In the northeastern part of Washington State, six endangered gray wolves were poisoned and perished. $51k has been set aside by wildlife organizations as reward money for any information that helps solve the case.

The deaths of six gray wolves within the territory of the Wedge pack in Stevens County are being looked into by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Late in February, the bodies of four of the animals were discovered, and subsequent searches revealed the deaths of two additional animals.

The six wolves all died from poisoning, according to toxicology results, the wildlife department reported in an alert on Monday.

Reward Money

For information that could result in the arrest of those held to account for the poisonings, wildlife and conservation organizations are offering reward money totaling $51,400.

Zoe Hanley, a wolf biologist from the Defenders of Wildlife, said that The endangered wolf population in our state has suffered a tragic, needless loss as a result. This cowardly act contradicts the sincere efforts made by biologists, policymakers, and ranchers in Washington to restore and coexist with wolves.

Defenders of Wildlife provided a $2,500 informational reward.

Since 1980, wolves in Washington have been classified as endangered, and the state's laws forbid hunting, cruel harassment, possession, and killing of animals. The federal government has listed gray wolves as endangered in the western portion of the state.

Read also: Federal Court Restores Protection to Gray Wolves as Threatened Species Across US 

Gross Misdemeanor

According to the wildlife department, killing a wolf or any other endangered species is considered to be a gross misdemeanor under Washington law, which carries a maximum one-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.

According to the department, at least 206 known wolves were living in 33 known packs across Washington State as of the end of 2021.

 According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, following a court order in February, gray wolves are a protected species under the Endangered Species Act in the majority of the contiguous 48 states and Mexico, except for the Northern Rocky Mountain population.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the lethal removal of one wolf from the Leadpoint pack territory in Stevens County on Monday as well. Kelly Susewind, the department director, gave the go-ahead for the killing on Sunday, after attacks on cattle on private grazing lands.

Because of similar threats to nearby livestock, state wildlife officials have recently been permitted to kill a small number of gray wolves, which wildlife officials say is per state guidelines. This includes the lethal removal of a maximum of two wolves from the Wedge pack in August 2020, USA Today reports.

Gray Wolves

Canines known as gray wolves have long, bushy tails that frequently have black tips. They are also known as timber wolves. Their coat color can range from solid white to either brown or black, but it usually has buffy facial markings and is a blend of gray and brown. Gray wolves resemble bigger German shepherds in appearance. Wolves' sizes vary depending on their habitat. Typically, northern wolves are bigger than southern ones.

A wolf's body is typically three to five feet long, and its tail can typically reach up to two feet in length. Males and females typically weigh 70 to 145 pounds and 60 to 100 pounds, respectively.

Related article: Wolves Reintroduction Into the Wild Can Restore Local Ecosystems, Scientists Say