Wildlife advocates push for federal protection of wolves on Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – More than a dozen wildlife groups from around the country visited the Capitol on Wednesday to advocate for the federal protection of wolves.

States like Wyoming, Idaho and Montana do not have regulations in place to prevent the killing of wolves. In 2011, the gray wolf was delisted from the Endangered Species Act by Congress in these three states and several others.

“We’re trying to get western wolves the protections they deserve through the law,” Erik Molvar with the Western Watersheds Project said.

A recent incident in Daniel, Wyoming where a 9-month-old wolf was allegedly tortured and killed has re-energized calls for change.

“We’re working through Congress behind the scenes with our partners to try to gin up legislation that will help backstop and create some guardrails for some of these offensive and outrageous acts,” Molvar said.

Wolves are federally protected within state parks in Wyoming like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. However, they are not protected within most of the state.

“This groundwork is ultimately to introduce legislation next year that would end the torture and killing of wolves and wildlife,” Founder and President of Wild Beauty Foundation, Ashley Avis said.

Avis says lawmakers like Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) have expressed support for such legislation.

Advocates also argue that gray wolves play a unique and necessary role in the ecosystems where they live.

“There’s significant scientific value to apex predators like the gray wolf. They are really important for plant life and managing livestock herds like elk and other creatures,” Bradley Williams with the Sierra Club said.

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