Breaking! Two Female Wolf Pups & One Yearling Were Killed By Hunters Outside Of Yellowstone; Take Action To End The Hunt Today!
The wolves in the photo are not the ones that were killed.
Wolf biologists from Yellowstone National Park reported yesterday that two female pups and one female yearling from the park’s Junction Butte Pack were killed by hunters during the first week of Montana’s wolf hunting season. The Junction Butte Pack, which consisted of 27 wolves at the beginning of the hunt, transcends Yellowstone’s northern range and is the most viewed wolf pack in the world.
WAN recently reported on the start of the wolf hunting season after groups representing nearly 200 tribes signed a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, demanding the restoration of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves throughout the United States.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) confirmed that the killings of the three wolves occurred outside Yellowstone in the general vicinity of where the Junction Butte Pack was traveling in mid-September.
Yellowstone wolves in the northern range spend an estimated 5% of the time outside of the park, usually in late fall. For over a decade, the Montana limited the number of wolves killed by the state’s “wolf management” units to be 313 in Gardiner and 316 in Cooke City, which are immediately adjacent to the park’s northern boundary. 98% of wolves in Montana are outside units 313 and 316.
Recent state changes to hunting and trapping have lifted restrictions within these units making Yellowstone’s wolf population in the northern range extremely vulnerable. Montana has also authorized baiting from private property. Over 33% of the boundary Yellowstone shares with Montana is within one mile of private property where baiting is now permissible.
“Yellowstone plays a vital role in Montana’s wildlife conservation efforts and its economy. These wolves are part of our balanced ecosystem here and represent one of the special parts of the park that draw visitors from around the globe,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent, Cam Sholly, in a statement. “We will continue to work with the state of Montana to make the case for reinstating quotas that would protect the core wolf population in Yellowstone, as well as Montana’s direct economic interests derived from the hundreds of millions spent by park visitors each year.”
Visitor spending within communities that are 50 miles from Yellowstone exceeds $500 million per year. Tens of millions is spent by visitors coming to see wolves, which in turn supports businesses in Montana in gateway communities.
The Junction Butte Pack, which formed in 2012, had eight pups in 2021.
Help urge Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to stop wolf hunts and reinstate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves nationwide, HERE!
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