Endangered Gray Wolf Killed In Oregon

PORTLAND, OR — An endangered gray wolf was killed in Oregon late October, officials announced this week.

The male gray wolf known as OR-25 was found dead near Fort Klamath on Sun Pass State Forest on Oct. 29, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest or a criminal conviction of the person or persons responsible for killing the wolf.

It is a violation of the Endangered Species Act to kill a gray wolf, which is listed as endangered in the western two-thirds of Oregon. It is also a violation of Oregon state game laws.

The Oregon State Police and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating the incident.

OR-25 was collared as a yearling on May 20, 2014, and dispersed from the Imnaha Pack in northeastern Oregon in March 2015. The wolf was 4.5 years old at the time of its death and was not known to be part of any pack at that time.

Anyone with information about this case should call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (503) 682-6131, or Oregon State Police Tip Line at (800) 452-7888. Callers may remain anonymous.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s December 2016 population count, there are a minimum of 112 wolves in the state, which is a 75 percent increase since December 2013.

--Photo courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service