Skip to main contentThe Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife on Monday upped the reward to $36,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the individuals responsible for poisoning a pack of wolves in Eastern Oregon earlier this year.
On Dec. 2, ODFW announced that state troopers in February had discovered two deceased male and three female wolves in Union County. The five wolves made up the entire Catherine Pack, state officials said, and toxicology reports showed the cause of death to be “consistent with poisoning.”
Then, between March and July, state troopers discovered three more dead wolves, all believed to be poisoned as well. ODFW says it has “exhausted leads in the case” and needs the public’s help.
As WW reported in October, poaching is a uniquely complex crime to prosecute (“Things Will Die,” Oct. 6, 2021). In 2019, the state Legislature passed a pair of bills that increased criminal penalties for poachers, and also carved out funding for a statewide poaching prosecutor.
“We are furious and appalled,” says Sristi Kamal of Defenders of Wildlife. “Such a targeted attack against these incredible creatures is unacceptable.”