8-21-2018
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A judge in Olympia blocks a state department from its plan to kill off members of a wolf pack.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday morning it would begin killing members of the Togo wolf pack for preying on cattle six times in the past ten months, in the northeast corner of the state.
The Department says it will use humane hunting methods, likely options include shooting from a helicopter, trapping, and shooting from the ground.
But Monday afternoon a judge in Olympia granted an emergency order blocking the state from killing any wolves.
The Spokesman Review reports the lawsuit that influenced this decision came from two out-of-state environmental groups, Arizona’s Center for Biological Diversity and Oregon’s Cascadia Wildlands.
A hearing on the order is set for August 31.