Wolf Pack Poisoned in Oregon

The state police is seeking information from the public concerning a probable mass poisoning of the Catherine wolf pack in Eastern Oregon.  It has taken public officials almost one year to appeal to the public for information, which gives an indication of how committed the state is to wolf recovery in Oregon and the need for restoring federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.   A collared wolf was found by ODFW on February 9, 2021, who reported it to the Oregon State Police.  Troopers responded to the location and found five more dead wolves, all known members of the Catherine Wolf Pack.  A dead magpie was also found.  On March 11, 2021 ODFW personnel found a dead female wolf, a skunk, and a magpie.  The female was a member of the Keating pack. All of the deceased animals were located in Union County. [map above]

Samples were submitted to the USFWS forensic lab in Ashland, OR. In April 2021, the USFWS submitted their examination reports finding poisoning as the cause of death for all six wolves, the skunk, and two magpies. Lab results also confirmed the presence a poisonous substance.  Two more collared wolves in Union County were also found dead from poisoning in April, an adult male from the Five Points pack and a young female from the Clark Creek pack.  A necropsy on the female showed that her poisoning was related to the extermination of the Catherine pack. Obviously there are wolf haters at work in Eastern Oregon, which is plagued by a right-wing extremist movement. 

The state police have apparently exhausted their leads in the case after additional investigation. They ask that anyone with information contact them through their OSP tip line:1-800-452-7888.  A $26,000 cash reward posted by conservation groups may be available. What this tragic and inhumane slaughter shows is that the state's wolf management program, tilted toward livestock interests from its inception, is simply inadequate to protect wolves from humans with a culturally embedded grudge.  Re-listing the grey wolf is needed now before they are all killed, again. [Oregon wolf pups; credit: Oregon Wild]