A reward of
$5,000 is being offered for information leading to the
arrest or criminal conviction of whomever is responsible
for the death of a gray wolf on or around Oct. 29.
The male
gray wolf, identified as OR-25, was found dead near Fort
Klamath on the Sun Pass State Forest. Originally part of
the Imnaha Pack in northeast Oregon, the male wolf
dispersed the pack in 2015, traveling to Klamath County
by August of that year.
For the
past two years OR-25 has spent much of its time in
Klamath County, periodically relocating to Lake and
Jackson counties in Oregon, as well as Modoc and
Siskiyou counties in California.
The wolf
was collared as a yearling, and was 4-1/2 years old at
the time of its death. Recent wildlife camera images of
OR-25 showed the possibility of the wolf pairing with a
non-collared female.
OR-25 had
been involved in two depredation incidents, the first in
Klamath County in the fall of 2015, and one in Jackson
County in February of this year. Though its collar
batteries had been fading, Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife biologists had continued to track the wolf,
which spent much of this year in the Wood River Valley
and Williamson Valley north of Klamath Falls.
It is a
violation of the Endangered Species Act to kill a gray
wolf, which is listed as endangered in the western
two-thirds of Oregon. It is also a violation of Oregon
state game laws. The Oregon State Police and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are investigating the
incident. According to the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife’s (ODFW) December 2016 population count, there
are a minimum of 112 wolves in the state, a 75 percent
increase since December 2013.
“We are
concerned about recent killings of wolves in this
region,” said John Heil, deputy assistant regional
director of external affairs for USFWS.
“We are
working with ODFW and Oregon State Police in the
investigation, and we collaborate with landowners
regarding wolf activity. Education is important, such as
non-lethal measures to avoid depredation, as wolf
populations are increasing and expanding their range. We
expect that to continue.”
There are
currently three open investigations in Oregon regarding
wolf killings. Recently a $5,000 reward was also offered
for information leading to the arrest of individuals
involved in the gunshot death of OR-33, a gray wolf
discovered in the Fremont-Winema National Forest on
April 23. On Oct. 6, 2016, OR-28, a 3-year-old female
gray wolf, was found dead and reported as illegally
killed in the Fremont-Winema National Forest near Summer
Lake.
In addition
to the reward by USFWS for information about the
poaching, conservation groups are offering an additional
$10,500 combined for information leading to a
conviction.
More
recently, a wolf was killed in the Starkey Wildlife
Management Unit in Union County on Oct. 27 by an elk
hunter, who self-reported the incident. The case will
not be prosecuted as state law and wildlife officials
believe it to be an incidence of self-defense.
Killing of
a protected gray wolf is a federal offense, punishable
by up to a $100,000 fine, a year in jail, or both. The
maximum state penalty is a fine of $6,250 and a year in
jail.
The
presence of gray wolves has been a controversial issue
since the endangered species was re-introduced to
Oregon. According to state wildlife officials, there
have been 141 livestock or domestic animals killed by
wolves since being reintroduced in the late 1990s.
Anyone with
information about this case should call the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service at 503-682-6131, or Oregon State
Police Tip Line at -800-452-7888. Callers may remain
anonymous.
