MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press writer | Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 12:00 am
BILLINGS, Mont. - A coalition of environmental and animal rights groups is challenging the removal of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies from the endangered species list.
Representatives of the groups say the estimated 1,500 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are too few to ensure the species' survival - particularly given the states' plans to sponsor wolf hunts beginning this fall.
The federal government announced last week the predators had recovered from near-extermination last century. Management of wolves will now fall under state authority unless that decision is blocked in court.
State officials have pledged to keep wolves on the landscape. But they also would allow hunters and wildlife agents to kill hundreds of wolves, in part to reduce conflicts with livestock and big game.
"A lot of the killing may not be taking place just from hunters," said Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity. "It's going to be very systematic killing, with aerial killing and the trapping of wolves to put radio collars on them and then, after they return to their pack, killing the entire pack."
Robinson's group was among 11 organizations that notified the Department of Interior Wednesday that they plan to sue the agency over wolves in federal court in 60 days. That's a required first step for litigation under the Endangered Species Act.