The wolf was trapped and struck with a shovel by New Mexico rancher Craig Thiessen, who is seeking to appeal his now-revoked grazing license.
Craig Thiessen needs front street exposure!! The Government also needs to fine him 100,000~! One More valid reason why Grazing Allotments EVERYWHERE need to be terminated! The Large NGOs that say grazing is ok need to wake up!
The wolf was trapped and struck with a shovel by New Mexico rancher Craig Thiessen, who is seeking to appeal his now-revoked grazing license.
A report obtained by an Arizona-based environmental group reveals the severity of injuries suffered by a Mexican graywolf that was trapped and beaten with a shovel by a New Mexico rancher in 2015.
That wolf later died and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved to revoke the rancher’s grazing permit.
According to the agency’s report, which described the necropsy conducted on the animal, the wolf’s lower jaw was fractured and detached, its stomach was ruptured and there were puncture wounds on its throat and front left paw. USFW’s investigation report of the wolf’s death also found a magnet taped to the wolf’s radio collar, noting it was “apparent someone wanted to block the collar from sending signals.”
Thiessen has since appealed the action, stating in a January declaration that while he “knowingly took” the wolf, he was afraid for his life and struck the wolf in the “heat of the moment.”
In the declaration, Thiessen said he released the wolf from the trap after it was subdued and that it was then killed by another wolf. But the center, citing the extent of the beating and because the radio collar was tampered with, suggests it may have been premeditated and the action was not only unlawful but unnecessary.
Laws require a rancher to notify a wildlife authority within a day of seeing an animal caught in a trap. While a rancher can harm or kill a wolf in certain circumstances, there are few exceptions.
Earlier admission led to permit revocation
Robin Silver, the center’s co-founder, a board member and medical doctor, called Thiessen’s claim that he feared for his life “nonsense,” and added that there’s little evidence supporting his claim that another wolf killed it. What the report shows, Silver said, is that Thiessen’s attempt to subdue the animal directly led to its death.
“That’s like saying if you shot somebody and they were able to walk away but then they died, your defense would be ‘well, I didn’t kill them, I just wounded them,'” Silver said.
“I don’t think a jury would go for that. I don’t see any difference here.”
If another wolf had ripped the jaw off of the wolf in question, Silver said, there would have been different and more frequent puncture wounds. In other cases of a wolf being caught in a trap, ranchers have followed the law requiring them to contact a wildlife authority or have just released the animals and then called.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has said the wolf succumbed to the injuries inflicted by Thiessen, who has not admitted to killing it. But his admission to striking the wolf was enough to convict him of violating the Endangered Species Act, which gives the Mexican gray wolves protections most animals don’t have.
Source: Necropsy in Mexican gray wolf death reveals brutal attack
Comments
It’s unforgivable and inexcusable.
May he receive the most severe punishment!
This man is unfit to be human, -lock him up!!!!
He needs to be accountable for his actions and penalized to the full extent of the law
This is a vicious and cruel and violent attack on an already injured wolf, that is unacceptable, along with his feeble excuse for doing it. A wolf in this situation were it uninjured would flee and noting that its jaw was brocken adds to the facts that he deliberately and maliciously had intention to kill this poor animal that must have died in a state of terrification as well as shock, as well as agony from. The extent of the injuries unduly inflicted apon it. The man is clearly a despicable individual and by rights should go to jail. He should think himself lycky that he has got off with a fine and had his grazing licence revolked sincerely hope it is permanantly revolked, in order to be an example to any other would be ranchers of his sort that think that this is acceptable. It is a cruel heinnous, and evil Act that must be addressed.
I absolutely agree with you, Hazel…besides the excruciating pain this poor wolf experienced, the violent overkill, and the utter terror this poor animal went through is a human of the lowest form.
Tell him the truth: he broke the law; he was inhumane; he doesn’t get to continue grazing on public lands which taxpayers own. Introducing TRUTH to him, probably won’t stop his lying, But he will result in fair, lawful consequences.
God bless Karma … it’ll come for him and all the other cowards
That man belongs in a jail cell! And let his ranching business fail! He doesn’t deserve to make a living off OUR publicly funded, tax-payer supported, wild lands! His behavior is criminal and he’s no innocent. Send him to jail and fine him! Teach him the lesson he clearly needs to learn!
Private industry should never be allowed to use public lands for grazing!!!
What a disgrace these ranchers are doing to our wildlife all in the name of greed and grazing. It just goes to show you that these people are only out to kill innocent any Mal’s in a sickening barbaric matter. This behavior is unacceptable. These wolves are going to be gone before we know it then we’re all screwed. What will be left for our children and grandchildren if this continues to happen? There must be severe consequences enough to make them think twice before killing a much needed predator to keep our ecosystem healthy and balanced. This was a violent premeditated, violent, barbaric murder of an innocent animal. These people are dangerous and should be considered so.
thiessen is a murdering bastard and shouldnt have its grazing rights given back to it!!!!! bastard should be in jail and why wasnt this murder posted in 2015 not 2019 !!!!!
He should be in jail for years. Does he really think he will get out of this. No way. How could anyone beat an animal with a shovel who was young and trapped. I don’t understand. He is a a wicked, rotten, cruel animal…I cannot refer to him as a person. I hope you will end up in jail for a LONG TIME, and, never again be able to work with animals.
I agreed 100% with Hazel. “Afraid for his life”…please! His grazing permit should never be restored nor should any permits be issued to any family members of Killer Craig Thiessen! Disgusting person!
It’s great that he lost his grazing permit. He should never get another one. I wonder how many other wolves he’s killed. If these ranchers aren’t trapping wolves, what are they trapping?
There is no excuse good enough for killing this wolf. He needs to pay the consequences for his what he did and his feeble excuses just don’t fly.
Enough of the grazing, enough of the lies and slaughter. And enough of traps!! Quit killing wolves, they are vital to us and the ecosystem. Wildlife services… your jobs are and was to protect not be bought off or afraid, do your job or you are no better than them. Here in Pennsylvania that would fall under the law of cruelty to animals along with the said laws that are to be in place and followed, prosecute to the fullest on everyone that violates these laws and at least maybe it will stop some of the lawbreakers and put money into your organization to use to help do the jobs you swore to uphold!!! ❤️❤️❤️SAVE the WOLVES ❤️❤️❤️
Disgusting treatment of our precious Wildlife, it’s stealing from all humanity! Not good or fair, Wildlife have a role on Earth and to we must stop illegal killing! We the huge majority want Wildlife in our lives now and future! The killers don’t care but they are stealing from all humanity!
Hazel very well said! The poor Wolf, an Eendangered species in CITES! I find this action disgracefull and barbaric! Disgusting!!!
He should be heavily fined, everything including all Animals taken from him. Ranchers like this are sub humans that pretend to care about their cattle they couldn’t care less about them they are money grubbing creeps that are getting away with murdering our Wolves and Wildlife Disgusting!!!!!