Defenders Responds to Illegal Poaching of Gray Wolf in Oregon

Defenders of Wildlife is deeply concerned by the news regarding the illegal killing of a breeding gray wolf male near Sisters, Oregon. Gray wolves are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in the western two-thirds of Oregon, where this poaching occurred. 

"Oregon holds a unique responsibility to manage and protect its wolf population given the endangered status throughout most of the state, and this tragic moment and illegal act must be met with consequences,” said Joseph Vaile, senior representative of the Northwest program at Defenders of Wildlife. “If this kind of behavior goes unchecked, the state will never reach its recovery  goals under the state’s wolf management plan. Defenders is committed to giving this American icon its best chance at thriving throughout its historical range."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest, criminal conviction or civil penalty assessment.

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