courtesy of Oregon Wild
by Rob Klavins
Over the last few years, we’ve had some laughs at the expense of the anti-wolf crowd. But just as crazy political rhetoric and misinformation got a lot less funny with the shooting of a Congresswoman and federal judge; it’s gotten a lot less funny in the wolf wars too – Especially after yet another illegal killing.
After being shot out of existence to pave the way for easier grazing, the recovery of western wolves is poised to become one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. Oregon’s less than 2-dozen wolves have successfully had pups 3 years in a row and are beginning to take their first real steps towards recovery. That’s welcome news for most Oregonians.
Still, that recovery is tenuous, and from DC to Salem to the Umatilla National Forest, wolves are facing serious threats. Since the first wolf made its way across the Snake River in 1998, over 1/3 of Oregon’s wolf population has been killed by government agents, cars, and poachers.
Teklanika Nature Photography 