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prairie dog
Denver, CO

Prairie Dog Coalition Urges Colorado to End Recreational Prairie Dog Shooting on Public Lands

Defenders and partners at the Prairie Dog Coalition call on Colorado Parks and Wildlife to prohibit recreational shooting of prairie dogs on public lands.
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Stefan Ekernas
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence

Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, where he will oversee Defenders’ field conservation programs.
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brown bear
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves

The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.

Press Releases

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Red Wolf Pups
Manteo, NC

First Wild Red Wolf Pups Born Since 2018

This week, Red Wolf Recovery Program staff confirmed a litter of six wild Red Wolf puppies, the first born in the wild since 2018. The pups, which include four females and two males, were found in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.
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Gray Wolf Howling
Portland, ORE.

Defenders of Wildlife Calls for Increased Poaching Protections as Oregon’s Wolf Population Stalls

For the second time since wolves returned to Oregon in 2009, the population has not grown, according to the recently released 2021 annual report from
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A brown bear cub looks for fish in the Kenai River
Anchorage, AK

Court Upholds Prohibition of Brown Bear Baiting in Alaska's Kenai Refuge

Defenders of Wildlife and a coalition of groups represented by Trustees for Alaska celebrated a U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision on Monday to uphold a 2016 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that prohibits brown bear baiting on Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
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Newborn Gray Wolf Pups
SEATTLE, Wash.

Washington Wolf Population Growing Despite Many Deaths

Despite a number of deaths, primarily from vehicle collisions and legal tribal harvest, the Washington wolf population has increased, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
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Mexican Gray Wolf stare
Santa Fe, NM

Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan Addresses Poaching

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft revision to its 2017 Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan. The plan is the result of a legal victory by Defenders of Wildlife and partners and outlines the ways the agency will address poaching and other human-caused deaths.
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243