A collared wolf from the Lookout Mountain pack was shot and killed in northeast Oregon earlier this month, and authorities are requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the perpetrator(s).
Wednesday, Oregon State Police said that state Fish and Wildlife troopers got information on October 3 that a collared female wolf known as OR88 may have died in northeast Oregon near Little Lookout Mountain, about 9 miles from Durkee.
OSP Fish & Wildlife Division is looking for the person(s) responsible for shooting and killing a wolf In Lookout Mountain Wildlife Management Unit, Baker County.
https://t.co/CjAEZ299dF #gBzNmFR0ej #twitter
— Oregon State Police (@ORStatePolice) 18 October
The wolf’s body was discovered on Bureau of Land Management land by Fish and Wildlife employees who responded to the scene. Troopers suspect the wolf was shot on October 2 at the spot.
According to police, the Oregon Wildlife Coalition and conservation partners are offering a $11,500 prize for information leading to an arrest and/or penalty in this incident.
Last year, wildlife officers in Oregon discovered eight dead wolves in the same spot. The poisoning of the animals remains unexplained, and incentives have been given for information leading to convictions.
Officials stated last week that six wolves found dead in northeast Washington this year were poisoned and that a reward is available.
According to a census conducted annually by state and tribal biologists, there were a minimum of 206 wolves and 33 packs in Washington state in 2021. Idaho had over 1,500 wolves, whereas Oregon had approximately 173.
In the meantime, environmentalists are urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do more to safeguard endangered Mexican gray wolves following the discovery of a dead specimen in southwestern New Mexico.
And earlier this month, authorities announced a $1,150 reward for information leading to an arrest in the slaying of an Arizona bobcat with a radio collar that was part of a study project.