Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.

In recent months, 20 gray wolves from Yellowstone National Park have been confirmed shot by hunters after leaving the park’s boundaries—15 wolves in Montana and five more in Idaho and Wyoming. These killings include most or all of the Phantom Lake Pack, which is now considered “eliminated” by the park.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, made the following statement:

“These killings remind us that no gray wolf is safe in the Lower 48. Unless we stop these deaths, the continued bloodshed will severely erode the long-term health of Yellowstone’s iconic wolves and severely undermine the decades of research so important to understanding wolves worldwide. We call upon the USFWS to use their emergency authority to reinstate federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies and end this needless loss of life.”

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

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