Eastern Washington Wolf Pack Eliminated
A wolf pack that had been preying on cattle in Washington state has been eliminated.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday the four remaining members of the OPT wolf pack in eastern Washington's Ferry County had been killed. Since 2018, the agency said the wolf pack had been responsible for 29 cattle depredation incidents.
Earlier this month a conservation group filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the state from killing more of the OPT wolves. Environmental groups opposed to killing the OPT wolves as they contend it only benefitted one ranch in the Kettle River range.
The Maryland-based Center for a Humane Economy filed the suit in King County Superior Court, contending too many wolves have been killed as a way to protect livestock, and they say its time to consider moving cattle off the Colville National Forest grazing land.
Most of the wolves are located in the rugged mountains of northeastern Washington, but they have started spreading to other areas of the state.
Officials say the state now has at least 126 wolves in 27 packs with 15 successful breeding pairs. For the first time, a pack has been found living west of the Cascade Range.
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