Reward offered in wolf killing case

Sunday, February 23, 2014

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A conservation group is offering a $7,500 reward for help solving the case of an endangered gray wolf found shot to death on Feb. 9 in Stevens County.

A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife enforcement official told the Spokesman Review (http://is.gd/u6VSih ) that the wolf died from gunshot wounds.

Gray wolves are protected in Washington state endangered species laws.

State biologists had been monitoring the female wolf since February 2013, when they fitted the animal with a GPS collar.

WDFW's Donny Martello says the wolf was once part of the Smackout Pack in northeast Washington but appeared to have been traveling alone since April.

Conservation Northwest put up the reward. The group has helped promote range riders to protect livestock from wolves.

The group says location data from the radio collar was helping guide activities to avoid wolf-livestock conflicts.

source
___