Wolf illegally shot in a national park left mate behind after ‘heartbreaking’ death
A female wolf was illegally shot and killed, creating a temporary void in a Minnesota national park.
The breeding wolf of the Tamarack Pack was shot and killed, the Voyageurs Wolf Project announced in a Facebook post. This is the fourth wolf studied by the national park project that has been illegally killed in the last two years.
After the female wolf was killed, her mate became a lone wolf in Voyageurs National Park, and has wandered away from the area the project studied.
“Though the Tamarack Pack is no more, other wolves will almost certainly take over that territory soon,” the May 12 post said. “Vacant territories do not remain that way for long in our area and we will be keen to study the wolves that takeover that territory.”
Forms of wolf hunting are legal in three states: Wyoming, Montana and Iowa. Since taking office, President Joe Biden has supported former President Donald Trump’s decision to remove gray wolves from the list of protected animals under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
“Absolutely heartbreaking,” wrote one Facebook user commented. “Too many of the human species are killers of precious wildlife.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Wolf illegally shot in a national park left mate behind after ‘heartbreaking’ death."
