Man Tapes Wolf’s Mouth Shut, Parades Around Bar, Then Shoots Dead - He was Fined $250
The Wyoming man allegedly ran the wolf down with a snowmobile, then prolonged the animal’s suffering by showing them off at a local bar. Now, Species Unite’s 95,000-strong community is calling for justice.
A man in Wyoming has reportedly tormented a live wolf by capturing the animal, taping their mouth shut, and parading them around his local bar. He then took the wolf outside the back of the establishment and shot them dead.
What are the consequences of such blatant animal abuse? The perpetrator has received a $250 fine.
Cody Roberts of Daneil, Wyoming, allegedly ran the wolf down with a snowmobile, disabling the animal, according to reports by Cowboy State Daily. Roberts then prolonged the suffering by dragging the animal to his residence before heading to the Green River Bar on 29 February, according to witnesses who saw disturbing images of the incident obtained by Cowboy State Daily.
In Sublette County, it is legal to hunt and kill wolves, however by capturing and tormenting the live animal, Roberts may have breached hunting ethics.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that someone was cited and fined for the violation, claiming that the incident was reported anonymously.
“The individual was hunting when he came across the wolf in the predator zone and intended to harvest it,” Breanna Ball, a Game and Fish Department spokesperson, told Cowboy State Daily.
“However, the wolf was transported alive back to his residence and later to a business in Daniel, WY. The individual euthanized the wolf later that day,” she added.
“The individual was cited for violating Chapter 10, Importation and Possession of Live Warm-Blooded Wildlife,” Game and Fish said, with the news outlet reporting that the offense carries a $250 fine.
Why Is More Not Being Done?
Even though wolves are responsible for less than one percent of all livestock deaths, hunters continue to advocate for limiting or decimating wolf populations based on the misconception of their impact on livestock.
In 2022 a judge reinstated wolves on the Endangered Species List but excluded those in the Northern Rocky Mountains, which encompasses Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. In February of this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had the chance to extend protections to wolves in those regions but voted against it.
In Wyoming, hunters are permitted to kill an unlimited number of wolves year-round across 80 percent of the state without requiring a license. These allowances extend to wolf pups and permit hunters to kill the animals via any killing method, including running them down with snowmobiles.
The $250 fine comes not due to the tormenting or killing of the wolf, but due to the state law which prohibits the possession of wolves.
Widespread Outrage
As more and more people hear about the incident, outrage has grown, with officials, animal activists, and even hunters condemning Roberts’ actions, calling them "cruel" and "disgusting."
Cowboy State Daily reported that Rob Wallace, who oversaw the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service as the Assistant Secretary for the Interior under the Trump administration, said he was “sickened” by the photo.
“This is awful,” Wallace told the media outlet. “Wyoming represents the best in wildlife stewardship and this is a sad and disgusting outlier.”
“In no way do I believe this represents who we are as a state,” he added.
Species Unite and its 95,000-strong community of animal advocates are calling on Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr to bring appropriate animal cruelty charges in this case. The animal advocacy organization has sent a letter to the law enforcement official urging him to ‘do the right thing’, arguing that ‘a $250 fine is not even a slap on the wrist when it comes to a crime of this nature.’
“Parading an injured, terrified animal with his mouth tapped shut around a bar is clearly an example of torment and emotional torture,“ reads the letter. “This is a felony offense which is punishable with up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Cody Roberts must be sentenced to jail time so that he can be rehabilitated and no longer a violent danger to society.”
Please join Species Unite in demanding justice for this young wolf who suffered so much terror and pain at the hands of Cody Roberts. Tell Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr a $250 fine is not enough and to do the right thing by ensuring this wolf gets justice here - it only takes one minute to send an email directly to his inbox.
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