As you read this, WDFW sharpshooters are taking to the sky to find and kill two endangered wolves – family members of the of the Togo wolf pack.

On June 19, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Director Kelly Susewind reissued a lethal removal order for the Togo wolf family in response to depredation of cattle on grazing lands in the Kettle River range of Ferry County. The order allows for the killing of up to two state-endangered wolves.

This isn’t the first time WDFW has targeted the Togo pack, or the state’s wolf population in general. Sharpshooters killed the breeding male of the Togo pack in 2018, leaving behind his mate and two pups, and again attempted to destroy the entire family (of just two wolves) in the fall of 2019.

Since 2012 the state has killed 31 wolves and has caused countless packs to fragment as a result of targeting individual wolves. All of these kill orders were issued with the same goal: stop livestock depredation. Yet science shows that killing a wolf can increase the risk that wolves will prey on livestock in the future. It is counterproductive and unsustainable.

This latest removal order further illustrates WDFW’s willingness to prioritize private industry over the state’s wildlife. The Togo territory is largely comprised of the Colville National Forest public lands and livestock owners lease permits to graze their cattle on these allotments. By WDFW’s own admission, ongoing depredations have occurred in the Togo pack territory and they expect depredations will continue based on the area’s history.

While it’s too late to protect the other 31 endangered wolves WDFW has gunned down since 2012, other Washington wolves still need our help.

Please take action to respectfully call on WDFW Director Kelly Susewind to immediately end the assault on Washington’s wolves.