YAKIMA, Wash. — Unlike the wolves of northeastern Washington whose livestock kills have prompted a public outcry, the small pack in Kittitas County has lived quietly for several years without generating any complaints.
So it shocked many wildlife advocates when one of the Teanaway Pack’s females was found dead of a gunshot wound to the hindquarters in October just north of Lake Cle Elum.
The crime — shooting an endangered species is a federal criminal act — might have gone undiscovered had the wolf not been wearing a GPS collar.
While details are few, authorities assume the wolf was likely shot by someone unhappy with the predators’ return. That’s been the case with three wolves illegally killed in Stevens, Ferry and Whitman counties in the last year.
The dead wolf from the Teanaway Pack was the only documented breeding female in Central Washington, so her death likely represents a step back for recovery of the species, which remains on the state’s endangered list, said Jay Kahne, who works for Conservation Northwest helping ranchers adapt to living with wolves.
Yakima Herald Republic | State works to find balance between wolves, livestock.