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gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Olympia, WA

Washington State 2025 Wolf Count Increases, Depredations Decrease

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today released the state’s 2025 minimum count for gray wolves at 270 individuals, a 17% increase from 2024
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gray wolf
Salem, OR

Oregon Releases 2025 Annual Wolf Count, Numbers Up

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today issued its 2025 gray wolf annual report, announcing an increase in the wolf population for a new
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Offshore Oil Rig
Washington D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Challenges Unprecedented “God Squad” Exemption Allowing Unchecked Gulf Oil Drilling

Defenders of Wildlife today announced it is taking legal action to overturn an unprecedented and unlawful decision by the Endangered Species Committee, known as the “God Squad,” to exempt federal authorizations of oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico through a blanket exemption from the Endangered Species Act’s protections.

Press Releases

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Ocelot kitten walking in bushes
Los Fresnos, Tex.

New Wild Ocelot Kitten Photographed in Texas

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a new ocelot kitten in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. This news, announced on the refuge’s Facebook page, is encouraging news for a species on the brink of extinction in the U.S. But the population remains at risk without sustained efforts to protect this wild cat and its habitat.
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Northern Long-eared Bat
Washington, DC

Court Orders U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Determine Whether Northern Long-eared Bat Warrants Listing as Endangered Species

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether the northern long-eared bat warrants listing as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act by December 2022 after remanding the Service’s flawed threatened listing last year.
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Manatee resting at Three Sisters Springs
Washington, DC

Congress Urged to Boost Funding for Endangered Species Conservation by $300 Million

More than 170 groups today urged Congress to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $291.7 million to
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Red wolf
Washington, DC

33 Members of Congress Urge Action on Red Wolf Restoration

Today, 33 U.S. representatives sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) leaders urging the agency to immediately implement a comprehensive plan to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered Red Wolf.
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Adult wolf looks at trail camera at night
Sacramento, Calif.

Oregon Wolf OR-93 Makes History, Traveling to California's Central Sierra Nevada

This week, a gray wolf from western Oregon dubbed OR-93 became the first collaRed Wolf to explore the central Sierra region of California. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), OR-93, a former member of the White River Pack near Mt. Hood, has traveled farther south into the state than any known wild wolf in a century, a historic journey that highlights the importance of habitat connectivity and the dispersal ability of this iconic species.
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