An opinion piece published yesterday in the #BillingsGazette explores #CodyRoberts ' #torture of a young female #wolf in Daniel, #Wyoming. By now, most of you have heard the news or seen the disturbing photos and videos. We remain disgusted by the #cruelty, as does our partner and op-ed author #JeffEwelt.
In his op-ed, Jeff Ewelt, the Executive Director of #ZooMontana and a partner of The #RelistWolves Campaign,
highlights the larger systemic issue of #AnimalCruelty and concludes #Montana 's policies make the state vulnerable to similar tragedies.
Ewelt argues that this incident could have easily taken place in #Montana, where savage and brutal practices are allowed with minimal #penalties. Where Roberts was fined only $250 for his crime in Wyoming, the same crime committed in Montana would have resulted in an even smaller #fine.
Ewelt points to the urgent need for stricter #AnimalCrueltyLaws and a shift in #WildlifeManagement practices to prevent further such incidents and protect wildlife.
We support Jeff Ewelt's call for increased oversight and #LegalReforms to prevent horrific events like this from happening again. We appreciate all those who have taken action and shared the news amongst your network. If you have not done so yet, there's still time to raise your voice for #wolves. Thank YOU!
• Send a letter urging the State of #Wyoming to ban the use of snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles to chase down and kill #wolves and other animals.
• Sign this petition calling on #SubletteCounty officials to bring more severe charges against #CodyRoberts in effort to hold him accountable and deter others from attempting similar acts of #cruelty.
Contact #Wyoming State officials including Governor #MarkGordon, at 307-777-7434, and #WyomingGameAndFishDepartment Director, #BrianNesvick, at 307-777-4600. Please be polite and respectful in your comment, but emphasize that the world is watching. Here are three talking points for your call:
The recent incident where a #wolf was chased, injured, and killed, is #AnimalCruelty and tarnishes the reputation of the state.
#CodyRoberts must be charged for animal cruelty not only for #justice to be served, but for the precedent that this incident will set.
Urge the Director to support legislative action to ban "wolf/coyote whacking," which is the practice of using #snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles to chase down and kill #wolves and #coyotes.
It has never been clearer -- or more urgent -- that wolves need their #EndangeredSpeciesAct protections restored in #Wyoming, #Idaho and #Montana. It's the single best way that we can end these unconscionable #WolfHunts.
#CowboyStateDaily has obtained a photo of a #wolf that was captured and had its mouth taped shut while it was reportedly taken to a local man’s house and a bar in rural #Daniel, #Wyoming, before it was killed.
The photo shows the wolf with red tape wound tightly around its muzzle sitting and looking down while #CodyRoberts of Daniel poses with the animal in his house. They are on a tile floor with coats and other clothing hanging behind them.
For one #wolf, getting hit by a #snowmobile was just the first of many horrors that awaited her on her last day of life.
That's right. A #Wyoming wolf was hit by a #hunter, disabled, duct taped, dragged around town, and paraded around a bar before meeting a cruel death: Getting shot out back.
And the punishment for this cruel capture and killing? Just a $250 fine for possessing live wildlife.
Imagine, hearing the noise of an engine far away. You and your #pack are on edge as the engine revs closer. You begin to run, but you can't outrun a #hunter who hits you with his snowmobile.
What happened next, I can't even ask you to imagine. This poor #GrayWolf was captured, red duct tape wrapped tightly around her snout. She was thrown into a strange car, driven to her soon-to-be killer's home.
But there's another stop: She was taken to a #bar in #Wyoming,
where she was paraded around like a prize despite her grave #injuries. Finally, the hunter took her out back and shot her.
This poor wolf was captured in what's called a "#PredatorZone," where there are basically no rules for how and when wolves can be killed. But #wolves in #Wyoming can't tell the difference between safe places for them -- places like #Yellowstone -- and places where they're subject 24/7 to #slaughter.
They deserve to spend time with their beloved pack members,
A dangerous bill is up for vote tomorrow in the U.S. House of Representatives that is misleadingly titled the "Trust the Science Act" (H.R. 764). This bill endangers gray wolves by prematurely stripping their Endangered Species Act protection and blocking any legal recourse.
Here's why it matters:
• Gray wolves are NOT fully recovered.
• They currently occupy only a tiny portion of their historic range and need ongoing protection to thrive.
• Previous delisting led to unsustainable hunting quotas and brutal practices, like the Wisconsin hunt in 2021 where over 200 wolves were killed in three days.
• Anti-wolf legislation is spreading in several states, jeopardizing wolf populations across the country.
This isn't about trusting science; it's about political attacks on wildlife fueled by misinformation.
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