Conservation advocates and a federal wildlife agency are offering $20,000 for information on each of three recent wolf poaching incidents in Washington.
Since October, three gray wolves have been illegally killed in Klickitat and Okanogan counties. Gray wolves are considered endangered under state law and federally protected in the western two-thirds of the state, including Klickitat and Okanogan counties.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Center for Biological Diversity are both offering $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction for each case.
“I’m so saddened by the illegal killings of yet more Washington wolves, which add to the enormous spike in human-caused wolf mortality here in recent years,” said Amaroq Weiss, senior wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These beautiful animals didn’t deserve to die this way, and whoever killed them should face the full force of the law.”
On Oct. 6, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigated the death of an adult male gray wolf that occurred east of the Klickitat River near U.S. Highway 142 and Goldendale in the south-central part of the state. The wolf died from starvation after it was shot and had to drag itself to a water source without the use of its back legs, according to the agency.
Another deceased wolf, an adult female, was found Oct. 20 southwest of Twisp in Okanogan County.
The department began investigating the death of another adult male wolf in Klickitat County on Dec. 17. The wolf was killed northeast of Trout Lake and was the last remaining member of the Big Muddy Pack, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
In total, five wolves were illegally killed in Washington last year, according to the agency. Four of the deaths are still under active investigation.
Under state law, killing an endangered species can result in up to $5,000 in fines and one year in jail. Anyone who knowingly violates the federal Endangered Species Act can face up to one year in prison and up to $50,000 in fines.
Anyone with information about the killings should contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using their tip line at 844-FWS-TIPS or through their website. They can also reach out to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife at 877-933-9487 or send an email to reportpoaching@dfw.wa.gov. Callers can remain anonymous.
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