Wildlife Officials Investigating Wolf Poached In Washington
KUOW radio news report on the gray wolf poaching in Washington.
State and federal wildlife authorities are investigating the likely poaching of an endangered wolf from the first pack to re-establish in Northern Washington. According to court documents, the case dates back to December – but is just now coming to light. Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports.
The investigation began two days before Christmas when police were called to a FedEx counter to look at a package that was dripping blood. The box turned out to contain a fresh wolf hide.
Authorities traced the shipment back to two rural homes outside Twisp, Washington. There they seized incriminating pictures and emails. Mike Cenci is Deputy Chief of Enforcement at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Mike Censi: “For someone to just take it in their own hands to kill a wolf is simply not appropriate. That’s not an individual’s decision to make.”
A search warrant suggests at least three people are under investigation, but no charges have been filed yet.
It was just last summer that state wildlife officials confirmed Washington’s first resident wolf pack since the 1930s. Wolves are currently protected under state and federal endangered species laws.
The poaching investigation was made public by the group Conservation Northwest.
