Wolf Illegally Killed In Avery Area

Law enforcement officers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are investigating the killing of a wolf along the St. Joe River near the town of Avery this past spring. "The wolf was killed some time after the bear season began on April 15, 2006" said Fish and Game senior conservation officer Jerry Hugo. Wolves are still protected by the Endangered Species Act in Idaho and there is no legal hunting allowed at this time. Wildlife law enforcement officials are seeking any information about this crime. There is now a reward of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the violators. The reward is being offered by the Defenders of Wildlife, who also provide the livestock compensation program. This program pays livestock owners fair market value for any livestock or guarding animals verified to have been killed by wolves. Anyone with information on the case may call the Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement special agent in charge at 1-425-883-8122, Idaho Department of Fish and Game senior conservation officer Jerry Hugo 1-208-689-9195, or Citizens Against Poaching 1-800-632-5999. Callers can remain anonymous if they so choose. Thirty five wolves were reintroduced into Idaho in 1995 and 1996, and by December 2005 their population numbers had grown to an estimated 500 to 600 animals. The Fish and Wildlife Service considers wolf recovery to be accomplished in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, but wolves cannot be delisted until each state has an approved management plan in place. On January 5, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed a memorandum of agreement transferring most of the responsibility for managing gray wolves in central Idaho to state wildlife officials. For more information about wolves visit these web sites: http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/wolf/ or http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wolves/.