Wolf Weekly Wrap Up!

Mexican gray wolf, © Jim Clark/USFWS
Wolves in four states got a reprieve Tuesday night with news that a congressional rider that would have stripped federal protections from wolves was not included in the final budget. 

This is huge -- the move would have been a disaster, ending Endangered Species Act protection in Wyoming, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin -- pushing aside decades of work to recover wolves in these regions.

The Center for Biological Diversity has been on the front lines in the fight against these anti-wildlife measures since the very beginning, and we never let up. Thanks to all our supporters who made calls, sent letters and raised their voices for wolves.

Along with you, we'll savor this victory as the year comes to close, but know that the fight for wolves will continue in 2016. The same vicious attitudes that drove the potential budget riders to end wolf protections will be back at the local, state and federal levels -- and we'll be there to fight back every hour and every day. We'll need you by our side to ensure that wolves will not be stalked, shot down and trapped in this coming year.

Wolf hunts are still legal in Idaho and Montana -- hundreds have died so far this winter. Government agencies, like the rogue "Wildlife Services," are still killing far too many wolves at the behest of special interests. And the wolf-haters in Congress will return, trying next year to again strip wolf protections.

This is a moment of celebration, but it's also a moment to re-commit to the fight for wolf protection. Right now a passionate wildlife advocate has made just such a commitment -- she will match every dollar if you donate now to the Endangered Species Defense Fund. We'll use your matched gift to take on new threats in 2016. With the wolf-haters pushing back from California to New Mexico to the shores of the Great Lakes, we won't stop until every wolf is safe from needless suffering and death. As this victory shows, with your help, we can win for wolves.

Plan to Strip Wolf Protections Cut From Budget Deal -- Thank You
Gray wolfWe breathed a huge sigh of relief Tuesday night with news that provisions meant to strip federal protections from wolves in four states were not included in the final budget in Congress. That move would've been a disaster, ending Endangered Species Act protection in Wyoming, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin -- pushing aside decades of work to recover wolves there.

The Center for Biological Diversity has been on the front lines in the fight against these anti-wildlife measures since the very beginning, and we never let up. Thanks to all our supporters who made phone calls, sent letters and otherwise raised their voices for wolves.

We'll savor this victory as the year comes to a close, but we know the fight for wolves will continue in 2016. The same vicious attitudes that drove the potential budget riders to end wolf protections will be back at the local, state and federal levels -- and we'll be there to fight back every hour and every day. We'll need you with us. Please consider donating to our Endangered Species Defense Fund. Your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar until Dec. 31.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launches closed door series of Mexican gray wolf recovery workshops

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a new series of Mexican gray wolf recovery planning workshops with state officials from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah and some scientists. At some point, each of these four states has worked against wolf recovery. Arizona Game and Fish asked Congress to remove all federal protections for Mexican gray wolves when there were only 50 wild lobos in the entire world and now forbids all releases of adult wolves in the state. Colorado is currently considering a ban on Mexican gray wolf reintroduction, with the Parks and Wildlife Commission expected to vote on the proposal in January. New Mexico’s game commission recently tried to block all future lobo releases in the state. Utah has voiced its disdain for hosting any wolf populations. The governors appear deaf to their citizens, the majority of whom overwhelmingly support wolves and wolf restoration. This is particularly clear in polling from New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. These new workshops are puzzling though, since the Service already appointed a Mexican gray wolf recovery team in 2010. The team’s scientists provided recovery criteria and draft recovery plans based on the best available science. In light of these past efforts, the new workshops raise an important question: Why start over when the recovery team’s scientists have already made recommendations for what is needed for recovery? The Mexican gray wolf is the most endangered gray wolf in the world. The Service must be willing to stand up to political pressure and stick with the best available science to recover the Mexican gray wolf!


Breaking: Gray Wolves: We can't sit back while gray wolves are killed by the hundreds. 

That's the gut-wrenching reality if plans to strip gray wolves of endangered species protections get approved. 

No national protections = open season on the gray wolf. Hunting, trapping, poisoning. It all comes raging back, decimating the sparse populations of gray wolves we've worked so hard to rebuild. Over 1,000 wolves have been killed in the Rocky Mountains by hunting and trapping since they were delisted a few years ago. 

The good news? 

Gregarious, social and highly expressive, the iconic gray wolf was on the verge of a comeback. Populations had begun to rebound from near-extinction levels in the Rocky Mountains, but over 1,000 have been killed under state management in just the last few years. 

With this latest plan by the Fish and Wildlife Service to completely delist the gray wolf across the continental U.S., we could see a mass slaughter of wolves. 

Save the gray wolf and other endangered wildlife, donate to the Sierra Club and help: 

  • Mobilize wildlife lovers to take action against delisting the gray wolf 
  • Pressure Congress to set aside critical habitat for wildlife 
  • Launch targeted media outreach efforts in key Congressional districts 
  • Mount legal challenges to anti-wildlife measures 

We can win this fight. Just like we won this year on Keystone XL. And won against Shell in the Arctic. These were fights we weren't supposed to win, but your passion, commitment and generosity meant all the difference. Together, we generated enough public and political pressure to save the Arctic and countless wildlife from suffering and death. 

Don’t Allow Wolf Hunting and Trapping.
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Target: Herb Cox, Ministry of Environment
Goal: Reverse decision to allow wolf hunting and trapping in Canada.
The Ministry of Environment in Saskatoon, Canada is set to issue 200 wolf hunting licenses to reduce wolf population. Obtaining one license will permit each hunter to kill two wolves.
According to CBC News, certain regions in Canada will be opening up to wolf hunting in an effort to “reduce the wolf population in these agricultural areas.” The Ministry of Environment made this decision after considering wolf predation on livestock, which can cause issues for farmers. The hunting aims to force wolves out of farm lands and towards forested areas. This program will also allow wolf trapping, which can result in serious injuries and physiological trauma for the animals. Traps can result in dehydration and may force an animal to remain in dangerous weather conditions.
Allowing wolf hunting does not guarantee a reduction in livestock deaths. According to National Geographic, killing wolves may actually increase the likelihood that they will attack farm animals. Research found that the chances of livestock being killed in a given year increased with the amount of wolves killed the previous year.
Wolves are an essential part of the natural world and should be preserved, not hunted. Human hunting interferes with and upsets the balance of our ecosystem. Demand that the decision to allow wolf hunting be reversed so that this crucial species can be preserved.
Dear Minister Cox,
The Ministry of Environment recently decided to issue 200 licenses for wolf hunting in Saskatoon in order to reduce livestock deaths in the area.
Wolf hunting is an inhumane and unnecessary activity that will harm the dwindling wolf species. According to research, killing wolves may actually increase chances that they will attack livestock. Furthermore, wolves are an important aspect of our ecosystem and help sustain it properly. Human interference in this process can have negative results on the natural system.
We urge you to reconsider the decision to allow wolf hunting and trapping. Please help preserve the wolf species in your area and stop this cruel practice.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: John and Karen Hollingsworth
Don’t Murder Last Remaining Wolves
gray-wolf-by-drew-avery
Target: Olemic Thommessen, President of the Norwegian Parliament
Goal: Stop hunters from slaughtering over half of the wolves in Norway.
Hunters plan to kill over half of the wolves in a particular wolf population in Norway. Over 10,000 people may be given hunting licenses and granted permission to shoot 16 out of the 30 wolves that are thought to reside in the Norwegian wilderness. We need to take action to better ensure that these wolves will not be completely wiped out.
Hunting season runs from Oct. 1 to March 31. A main reason why wolves are hunted is to protect livestock. However, this reason is difficult to justify when one considers that a great deal of illegal hunting is speculated to take place in Norway. Furthermore, since hunters are allowed to kill all but three breeding females, the wolves are not able to reproduce at a fast enough rate to keep from dying off. With this being the case, hunting season should be canceled to ensure the wolves have a chance to thrive.
Demand hunting season be made against the law until these wolves drastically increase in number. If Norway continues down the same path, all of the wolves that live there will soon be dead.
Dear President Thommessen,
Hunters will soon be allowed to kill off over half of the wolf population in Norway. It does not make sense that thousands of hunters may be given the right to hunt 16 wolves when it is thought that there are only 30 left in the entire country.
Since Norway has a population of over 5 million people and there are only approximately 30 wolves in the entire country, there are likely not enough wolves in the region to eat the massive amounts of livestock the country contains. Experts speculate that illegal hunting takes place in the region, making hunting a majority of the wolves there unjustifiable. Since hunters are only required to make sure that the lives of three breeding females are spared, and female wolves only have between four to six wolf pups per year, the wolves will likely soon die off if they continue to be killed. Because of these circumstances, hunters should not be allowed to kill anymore wolves until their population significantly increases.
I therefore urge you to outlaw hunting season for the time being in Norway in order to give these beautiful animals a chance to flourish. If we don’t do something to help these animals, they will likely all soon be dead.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Drew Avery
Decision Week for Wolves -- Help Us Protect Them: Any day now Congress will decide whether to strip away wolf protections in Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. If the worst happens, thousands of wolves could be gunned down, snared and hunted with trained dogs.

No matter what though, we'll keep fighting for wolves every hour of every day. We won't stop -- but we need you by our side to win.

Right now a true friend to wildlife has stepped forward to help the Center for Biological Diversity fight to protect wolves. She has promised to double every gift given in the next two weeks. Your donation to the Endangered Species Defense Fund will be met dollar-for-dollar.

The poisonous hatred that's driving these wolf-killing bills in Congress isn't isolated to Washington, D.C. That's why we're dedicated to taking the fight anywhere we have to: from local, state and federal politics to the streets or the courthouse. No species draws more hysteria than these intelligent, social animals -- wildlife-haters gloat over every wolf-kill on social media, swapping pictures of gruesome, painful wolf deaths.

It's due to this kind of irrational prejudice that in Oregon, the wildlife commission recently ended protection for wolves under the state's Endangered Species Act. And in California, a new draft management plan threatens to start killing wolves as soon as they reach a population of 50-75 -- that's only 9 breeding pairs -- a ridiculously low number in a state with millions of acres of prime wolf habitat.

Taking the fight to every state where wolves roam will be difficult and costly. To accomplish this hard work, we need your help with a generous contribution to the Endangered Species Defense Fund. Give now, and your gift will be doubled in defense of wolves.

The Center will do everything we can to protect wolves. We'll rally our nearly 1 million supporters to push for new wolf protection laws in every statehouse, fight in court any way we can to keep wolves alive, and take on the wolf-haters toe-to-toe. But without your help, wolves will lose their most effective advocates. Please step up for wolves and the wild with a matched donation to the Endangered Species Defense Fund today. We must defend wolves wherever they may roam.

UPDATE: Anti-wolf riders removed from budget bill
I have very good news to share with you today. Late last night, Congress released the text of the omnibus budget bill and the anti-wildlife riders that would have legislatively delisted wolves have been removed. Had the omnibus bill moved forward with those provisions intact, wolves in Wyoming, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin would have again been stripped of protections and these states would likely have set hunting and even trapping seasons. 

Your support and actions were instrumental in keeping these dangerous proposals from becoming law. Together, we delivered tens-of-thousands of emails, phone calls, tweets, and in-person visits to decision makers to impress upon them the crucial need to keep wolves protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Thank you for everything that you have done for wolves and other endangered and threatened species. We will continue to update you if Congress takes up similar bills, and hope you will help us keep up the momentum to protect wolves. Until then, we can celebrate this success for these wolves today. 

State sponsored wolf killing is underway in the Northern Rockies. Nearly 292 wolves in the Northern Rockies have been trapped or gunned down this year with other wolves being killed by state and federal agencies. And the carnage is just getting started.
You and I are the voice of the wolves and other imperiled wildlife. And our voice has never been more urgently needed.
Match in effect: Make your donation before midnight on December 31st and our Board of Directors and National Council will match your gift dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $150,000.
The return of these magnificent predators to the Lower 48 is one of the greatest conservation success stories of the 20th century. But wolves have political enemies, and wildlife managers who treat them differently from any other wildlife. And the voice of those who would turn back the clock and treat wolves as vermin as was the case in Wyoming grows louder and stronger.
Defenders of Wildlife was present on those winter mornings 20 years ago when the first wolves in a generation set foot in Yellowstone National Park and in the Idaho backcountry.
Thanks to you we’ve been there every step of the way, fighting for gray wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, red wolves in North Carolina and Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.
You and I have celebrated successes together, like the establishment of California’s first wolf pack in nearly a century. And we’ve mourned losses, like the wanton slaughter of wolves in Idaho by federal gunners who killed entire packs at the request of Idaho officials seeking more elk for hunters in the Clearwater National Forest. Or the government trapper who was secretly killing wolves in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness two winters ago, before the public learned of and helped us stop this travesty.

It’s up to you and me now to make sure our elected leaders hear the true voice and true hearts of Americans on wolves, other imperiled species and the natural world around us.
Minnesota Petting Zoo Exposed for Killing Endangered Gray Wolves for Their Fur.

Are there no depths to which petting zoos will not sink? Abusive behavior is rampant within petting zoos, roadside zoos, and similar facilities, as they are uncertified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) – which requires, at least, a certain standard of animal welfare to be met – although any form of zoo captivity is ultimately bad news for animals, regardless of how “spacious” an enclosure they are given, or how diverse their diet. In roadside zoos, the well-being of the animals typically ranks far below the owners’ desire to make a profit, and there have been multiple cases of such facilities being cited for animal abuse and neglect. Earlier this month, Wildlife in Need, a roadside zoo in Indiana, was

Earlier this month, Wildlife in Need, a roadside zoo in Indiana, was slammed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for endangering the safety of both its tiger cubs and human visitors. And now, a petting zoo called Fur-Ever Wild has been exposed for not only allowing members of the public to play with wolf cubs but also for selling the pelts of its older wolves!

Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has just filed a sixty-day notice of intent to sue the Minnesota facility. Because gray wolves are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and cannot be killed for their fur, the animal advocacy group has alleged that Fur-Ever Wild is breaching Section 9 of the Act, and is, therefore, subject to civil or criminal penalties.

“Fur-Ever Wild shows contempt not only for the lives of magnificent endangered animals but also for federal law,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the ALDF. “We hope Fur-Ever Wild will agree to cease its wolf-killing operation in the next sixty days but, if not, we intend to sue to ensure the law is enforced.”

In a 2012 civil court deposition, Fur-Ever Wild owner Terri Petter admitted that most of her animals were raised for their fur. When asked whether she slaughters them or allows them to die naturally, she replied, “It depends on the fur market.” In the same deposition, she stated that around 25 of her wolves were set to be pelted within the following two weeks.

Petter’s past history of record-keeping at the facility has been decidedly dubious. In her 2012-2013 report, she claimed that she began the year with 31 wolves and that during the year, 33 wolves were born, and 24 died. Six wolves were sold that year, bringing her to a total of 34 by the year’s end. However, her 2013-2014 report states that she began the year with 38 wolves. Nineteen wolves were born, and nineteen died during that year. The deaths were recorded under the category, “Number of deaths (… butchered for consumption).”

ALDF attorney Christopher Berry said, “The average person going to Fur-Ever Wild would not think that it could be killing animals and harvesting their fur for money.” He added that ALDF was tipped off about Fur-Ever Wild’s actions by animal rights activists who were attempting to stop Petter from opening a second location in South Dakota. Although Petter did succeed in opening the second facility, it was forced to shut down after just ten weeks, due to the strength of local opposition. “The activist effort was fueled in large part by public indignation over the compelling evidence that Fur-Ever Wild was killing its animals for fur,” he commented.


This truly shocking case highlights just how important it is to protect vulnerable, much-maligned gray wolves from this kind of flagrant abuse. Let’s hope that ALDF’s planned lawsuit succeeds in stopping Fur-Ever Wild’s disgraceful actions. 

Stop fur farm from exploiting and killing Endangered Gray Wolves for Their Fur.
A fur farm disguised as an educational petting zoo wants to come to my home state. We need your help to close their business.
“Fur-ever Wild” sounds like a cute place to take the whole family. Described as an educational petting zoo, the Deadwood, SD location will include a chance to “pet-and-plays” with wolf puppies. They advertise it will only cost you $20 dollars for 20 minutes. For the puppies, it will eventually cost them their lives.
The wolf pups are trotted out for cute photos. Once the pups are too old to for the “pet-and-plays,” they will be transported back to Minnesota and eventually killed for their fur. The truth is “Fur-ever Wild” is just a side business of a fur farm. Before they make money on the furs of the animals, they exploit them for more profit at these petting zoos.
We must stand against such exploitation and cruelty. No matter where you live, we need your support.
Before the wolf pups are put in the arms of posing children and adults, they are taken from their mother after they are only days old. Their eyes haven’t even opened when they are removed. It’s a start of a horrible journey “Fur-ever Wild” won’t be broadcasting to their guests. When visitors give their $20 dollars they will have no idea they are financing the death of the very pups they want hold.
A business model built on breeding animals for such a fate in inhumane and should be stopped. Together we can stop “Fur-ever Wild” from expanding and send a message to similar businesses their time is up.
Tell Lakeville, MN to shut down “Fur-ever Wild”. Please sign and share our petition today.
To find out more information, please visit these recent news articles:
Previous articles: Minnesota Court of Appeals From the current lawsuit... "testimony from Petter that she was operating a "fur farm" and that every one of her animals would be skinned": http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Flaw.justia.com%2Fcases%2Fminnesota%2Fcourt-of-appeals%2F2015%2Fa14-945.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNG828JONQA1AIawXK4sP9wRMkd9UA 
LETTER TO
Eureka Township Lakeville, Minnesota
A fur farm disguised as an educational petting zoo wants to come to my home state. We need your help to make sure they never get to open for business.

“Fur-ever Wild” sounds like a cute place to take the whole family. Described as an educational petting zoo, the Deadwood, SD location will include a chance to “pet-and-plays” with wolf puppies. They advertise it will only cost you $20 dollars for 20 minutes. For the puppies, it will eventually cost them their lives.

The wolf pups are trotted out for cute photos. Once the pups are too old to for the “pet-and-plays,” they will be transported back to Minnesota and eventually killed for their fur. The truth is “Fur-ever Wild” is just a side business of a fur farm. Before they make money on the furs of the animals, they exploit them for more profit at these petting zoos.

We must stand against such exploitation and cruelty. No matter where you live, we need your support in asking the city of Deadwood to not allow “Fur-ever Wild” to open its doors.

Before the wolf pups are put in the arms of posing children and adults, they are taken from their mother after they are only days old. Their eyes haven’t even opened when they are removed. It’s a start of a horrible journey “Fur-ever Wild” won’t be broadcasting to their guests. When visitors give their $20 dollars they will have no idea they are financing the death of the very pups they want hold.

A business model built on breeding animals for such a fate in inhumane and should be stopped. Together we can stop “Fur-ever Wild” from expanding and send a message to similar businesses their time is up.

Tell the city of Deadwood to prevent “Fur-ever Wild” from opening their doors. Please sign and share our petition today.


To find out more information, please visit these recent news articles:

Minnesota Court of Appeals From the current lawsuit... "testimony from Petter that she was operating a "fur farm" and that every one of her animals would be skinned": http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Flaw.justia.com%2Fcases%2Fminnesota%2Fcourt-of-appeals%2F2015%2Fa14-945.html&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNG828JONQA1AIawXK4sP9wRMkd9UA 
http://sunthisweek.com/2013/03/01/proposed-zoning-ordinance-changes-have-eureka-township-residents-questioning-what-animals-can-be-allowed/
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/28913130/furever-wild-agricultural-farm-stinks-eureka-neighbors-say