The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) lethally removed the four known remaining members of the Old Profanity Territory wolf pack in northeastern Washington. The pack killed 14 livestock in the last 10 months, nine the last 30 days and a total of 29 since September 5, 2018. The depredations took place even though the livestock producer took proactive, nonlethal, conflict deterrence measures.
The wolf removal process happened early on August 16, 2019. Later that same morning, a King County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of out out-of-state environmental group seeking to stop the action until it can hear the merits of the case. Biologists identified another wolf in the same area but it may have dispersed from a different pack.
WDFW Director Kelly Susewind reauthorized the removals on July 31 in response to continuing depredations and the lethal removal provisions of the department’s wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation maintains that wolves should be managed by state agencies since they also manage elk, mountain lions, deer, black bears and other wildlife species.
(Photo source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)