A second wolf this year has been illegally shot near Idaho City, Idaho This is a new wolf pack in SW central Idaho, about 30 miles NE of Boise. The wolves were radio-collared after much effort.
USFWS is offering a reward in the killing of wolf B158F. Here is the news release.
Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Law Enforcement
1387 S. Vinnell Way
Boise, Idaho 83709
(208) 378-5333
FAX (208) 378-5339October 14, 2003
Contact: Craig Tabor or Scott Kabasa, (208) 378-5333Gray Wolf Illegally Killed Near Idaho City
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the person who killed a gray wolf near Mores Creek Summit north of Idaho City.
The wolf, a collared female known as "B-158," was killed sometime between October 5 and October 11 off of Forest Road 323.
"We are very interested in finding whoever is responsible for this crime," said Craig Tabor, Resident Agent in Charge in the Service's Boise field office. "The loss of any wolf is significant in terms of wolf recovery and ultimate delisting in Idaho, but particularly so with radio-collared wolves. Each animal fitted with a radio-collar represents many hours of effort spent to find, capture, collar, and release wolves so that biologists not only can monitor them, but can take steps to prevent livestock depredations."
B-158 has been sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forensics lab in Ashland, Oregon, for necropsy to further determine specifics about its death.
The reward money is being offered by the Service and Defenders of Wildlife.
The killing of an animal protected under the Endangered Species Act is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and one year in jail. The Service is requesting that anyone who may have information regarding this wolf death to please contact law enforcement agents at (208) 378-5333.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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