Wisconsin Hunters Kill 216 Wolves Within Three Days
After a Trump-era law strips gray wolves of their endangered species status, hunters use packs of dogs, snares, and leg-hold traps to kill wolves in a state-approved one-week hunt.
Hundreds of wolves have been killed by hunters and trappers within less than 60 hours as part of Wisconsin's controversial hunting season.
The state was forced to intervene and end the hunting season prematurely, after the wolf death count reached more than 82% of the state’s kill quota within just three days of the proposed week-long hunt.
At least 216 gray wolves were killed within less than 60 hours, despite the statewide limit set at 119 animals.
“These animals were killed using packs of dogs, snares and leg-hold traps,” explains Kitty Block, chief executive of the Humane Society of the United States. “It was a race to kill these animals in the most cruel ways.”
Conservationists and animal welfare groups have condemned the hunt, which comes after a Trump-era law removed legal protections for gray wolves.
In a late-term decision last year, the Trump administration declared that the gray wolf is no longer an endangered species, which now leaves the once near-extinct animal without any legal protection. The new law applies to the lower 48 states, where there are around 6,000 wolves remaining.
Now, campaigners are calling for the Biden administration to restore protections for gray wolves.
“This is a deeply sad and shameful week for Wisconsin,” said Megan Nicholson, a representative for Wisconsin's branch of the Humane Society. "“This week’s hunt proves that now, more than ever, gray wolves need federal protections restored to protect them from short-sighted and lethal state management.”
Meanwhile, Spain recently announced a historic ban on wolf hunting that will protect the country’s last 2,000 remaining wolves, and help rescue the species from the threat of extinction.
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