WDFW Removes OPT Wolf Pack

Last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced it had killed the four known remaining members of the Old Profanity wolf pack in Ferry County.  A series of WDFW investigations had shown the pack responsible for 29 depredations since September 2018.

WDFW Director Kelly Susewind authorized the lethal removals on July 31.  The removal decision was made with guidance from the state's Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and the lethal removal provisions of the department's wolf-livestock interaction protocol.  The OPT pack has been involved in 14 livestock depredations in the last 10 months, with nine in the last 30 days, and a total of 29 since September 5^th, 2018.

Earlier this month, the Maryland-based Center for Humane Economy filed a petition seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent those removals.  However, that petition was denied in King County.

The livestock producer who owns the affected livestock took several proactive, nonlethal, conflict deterrence measures to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock, and WDFW will continue to monitor for wolf activity in the area and work closely with producers.

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