SPOKANE — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday that an adult male wolf was killed in Columbia County, drawing criticism from wildlife advocates who contend that endangered wolves should not be slain for preying on livestock.
The wolf was killed last Thursday in an area of new wolf-pack activity in the southeast corner of the state, the department said. The department is authorized until Dec. 10 to kill another wolf from the newly formed pack.
The department said it believes there are four adults and four pups in this new pack that have been preying on cattle since August despite precautions taken by ranchers — including hiring range riders, regular cattle checks, lighting up pastures, removing carcasses of dead cattle and making noise to keep wolves away from pastures.
Wildlife activists decried the killing of the wolf.
“Normally we’d be celebrating the formation of a new wolf pack in Washington. But I’m saddened that the Department of Fish and Wildlife killed a wolf and has authorized killing another from the same family,” said Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity.