Feds say four of five wolves were killed
By BUZZY HASSRICK
Of the five area wolf deaths under investigation, four did not die naturally,
said special agent Tim Eicher of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Three of the four dead wolves from the Sunlight Pack died from gunshots.
The radio signal from the third shot wolf, No. 263 a black male, was located
last week emanating from the water near Buffalo Bill Dam.
“It’s obvious it didn’t drown swimming across the reservoir,” he said. “The
wolf was shot, the collar cut off, and it was thrown in the reservoir.”
Removing the collar is an attempt to tamper with the evidence and distance it
from the crime scene, he added.
The recent find brings the total number of wolf deaths under investigation to
five. The fourth Sunlight wolf, No. 52, might have died of natural causes, but
not alpha male No. 274 from the Greybull pack, he said.
“I can’t say if the deaths are related,” said Eicher, who is developing leads.
Although several mortalities have occurred during hunting season, he added,
those responsible for killing the wolves “aren’t hunters – they’re criminals.”
In fact, hunters often help with investigations, and two hunters reported the
deaths of the two uncollared Sunlight wolves.
“People disagree about wolves, but they don’t go out and kill them,” Eicher
added. “Most people abide by the law.”