Gray wolf hunting is now banned in 44 US states

Beware of anyone attacking the wolf. In the United States, after a particularly deadly year for the dog population, a federal judge in California has just banned wolf hunting in 44 states, subject to fines or prison terms.

On February 10, Judge Jeffey White returned wolves to their protected species status. Indeed, in October 2020, the Trump administration had decided otherwise, revoking the dogs this protective status they had been given in the 1970s.

In his conclusions, Jeffrey White did not hesitate to question the US Department of Wildlife Management and Conservation, which, in his view, ” failed to adequately address threats to wolves outside of core populations in the Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountain regions, removing protections for the entire species† †

A welcome decision since, as Collette Adkins of the Center for Biological Diversity points out, the new Joe Biden administration had not taken a stance on the issue of wolf conservation. “We see this desire every year in both Democratic and Republican governments to end the wolf recovery”she told AFP. “It’s frustrating because the law governing the status of protected species provides for the recovery of these animals so they can fulfill their role in the ecosystem. †

And the urgency is great. In the United States, the number of wolves killed has exploded since the measure came into effect in January 2021. In Wisconsin, more than 200 wolves were exterminated in less than three days. A phenomenon of dramatic proportions that had even forced the authorities to shorten the hunting season.

Of the 250,000 wolves that inhabited the United States before the arrival of European settlers, only 6,000 remain in the entire country (excluding Alaska). The ban on wolf hunting should therefore: “let these vital animals get the support they need to recover and thrive for years to come”welcomes a press release Jamie Rappaport Clark, chairman of Defenders of Wildlife, one of the associations that had opposed the Trump administration’s move.

A big win for gray wolves and nature lovers.

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