Protect The Wolves® says WDFW could not release them because they would have set a Bad Precedent.. They would rather KILL THE WOLVES!!! Its pretty sad that that they claim it is not feasible! I find this very disappointing!
State Fish and Wildlife officials say a proposed plan to capture and transport the Profanity peak wolves to a California sanctuary is not feasible.
Washington state officials have rejected a proposal by a wildlife preserve to save the Profanity Peak wolf pack targeted for extermination.
“We received the proposal to relocate the remaining Profanity Peak pack members to California, but that approach just isn’t feasible,” said Eric Gardner, assistant director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), in an emailed statement.
Lorin Lindner and Matthew Simmons, co-founders of the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center, a 4,000-acre preserve near the Los Padres mountains in Ventura County, Calif., offered to use helicopters to find and tranquilize the wolves, then move them to the preserve.
The pack, originally estimated at 11 animals — six adults and five pups — was cut in half in August after six of the wolves were killed. State officials authorized the exterminations following a series of attacks on livestock put out to graze on public land in the Colville National Forest
Since mid-July, WDFW has confirmed that wolves from the Profanity Peak pack have killed or injured six cattle and possibly five others. The most recent incident occurred on Aug. 31, when a calf was killed, a WDFW spokesman said.
Simmons and Lindner said they began putting out feelers about their proposal after hearing of the state’s decision in August. Last week, they traveled from California to rural Ferry County to make a pitch directly to state and local officials about providing a nonlethal alternative at no cost the state.
“We knew it was a last-ditch effort,” Simmons said. “Bringing wolves into a sanctuary should be a last option, but we think it’s a viable one if the alternative is killing the animals.”
But according to WDFW officials, Simmons’ proposal is unworkable. “We know from experience that darting and capturing wolves when there’s no snow on the ground to slow them down isn’t practical,” Gardner said.
Reached Thursday, Simmons rejected the state’s assessment of his offer, adding that he would be open to adjusting the means of removing the wolves.
“People in your state seem to be determined to kill these animals even when there’s an offer to remove them that won’t cost the state a dime,” he said.
The fate of the remaining members of the wolf pack remains in limbo. The department is open to new strategies, but will continue to re-evaluate the situation at the end of each week to determine whether efforts to exterminate the pack should continue, said WDFW spokesman Craig Bartlett. What, if any, nonlethal strategies are being considered was not immediately made clear.
State policy authorizes “lethal removal” after confirming that wolves have preyed on livestock at least four times in one calendar year, or six times in two consecutive years. Livestock must have been confirmed to have been killed by wolves in at least one of the events.
The state’s Wolf Advisory Group is scheduled to hold meetings on wolf management policy in North Bend on Sept. 14 and 15.
Source: State rejects proposed nonlethal plan to transport targeted wolves | The Seattle Times
Comments
What is going on in a state when nonlethal ways would atleast put a little water on this fire . Seems to me the hitmen want their cash at any cost instead of doing the right thing here. Those wolves are so important to the vitality of your forests and it seems the closed minded officials just side where the cash is. When your state no longer has anything to offer what will you do then??shame on you for not relocating the rest of this pack to a sanctuary. You owe them that much after killing off the providers and these wolves gave done nothing but eat to survive. Why is it so wrong for them to eat when this rancher dangles his herd in their home . I bet he loses way more of his herd to poachers and sickness than from wolves or other preditors which will continue to take advantage of easy prey.
Hi Stacy, We approached the State to relocate on July 19th, to a Native American Religious Sanctuary…then Again on the Phone with Donny Martorello on August 22. WDFW after rejecting us, would not set a bad precedent.. Their reason for refusing doesnt hold Water 😉