Killer Receives Tiny Fine After Tormenting a Wolf in Wyoming—Take Action Now
An alarming video of a captured, terrorized, tethered, and muzzled wolf lying in a broken heap inside a Wyoming bar has renewed concerns for wolves in parts of the U.S. where protection for them under the law is lacking. Replying to a public records request, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department released footage of the animal, who was tormented and later killed by a man named Cody Roberts:
Here’s the latest on this incident and other cases in which humans have harmed and killed wolves, followed by how you can help.
- February 2: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it was declining to relist Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act despite ongoing massacres of the subspecies in Idaho and Montana.
- February 29: Roberts, the man mentioned above who ran down, tormented, and killed a wolf, was penalized with a mere $250 fine for “illegal possession of warm-blooded wildlife.” PETA had asked law enforcement to investigate and file charges. Many people demanded far steeper penalties for him, but disturbingly, most of what he did to the wolf is legal.
- April 7: Ten wildlife groups sued in a Montana federal court over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s failure to relist wolves as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in Idaho and Montana specifically.
- April 8: Other groups filed a complaint in the same Montana federal court over the failure to relist all Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.
The incident in Wyoming is just one of the latest atrocities concerning wolves. Since these animals mate for life, remain faithful to their partners, and live in close-knit packs in which everyone pitches in, killing even a single wolf ruins multiple lives. Read our blog post to learn more about wolves in danger.
Help Wolves Now
Please send an urgent message to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland asking her to implement immediate emergency protections for gray wolves and to reinstate full federal protections for them under the Endangered Species Act.
You’re welcome to use the sample message below, but adding your own thoughts and feelings can make your message more impactful.
Note: PETA supports animal rights, opposes all forms of animal exploitation, and informs the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.
Please feel free to use our sample letter, but remember that using your own words is always more effective.
