In the United States, if a rancher complains about an animal, it is apparently legal to slaughter it. That’s according to the Biden administration, which recently defended the Wildlife Services division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after it make a horrible decision. The USDA is planning to kill off eight wolf pups in Idaho — all just because a private livestock rancher, who is using public, tax-funded lands, filed a complaint. Apparently, all it takes to slaughter baby wild animals is one foul-tempered person who whines loudly enough.
Only around 1,500 gray wolves remain in existence in the state of Idaho. That is a shockingly small number — and should be a wake-up call for officials to do everything they can to save this precious species from extinction. Gray wolves are especially vulnerable due to disgraced ex-President Trump’s decision to remove them from the Endangered Species list. Lacking federal protections, it’s more important than ever that the USDA use non-lethal methods to manage them. Management doesn’t have to involve killing. Multiple alernatives exist, including light and sound deterrents. Sign the petition to tell President Biden and the USDA: protect our remaining gray wolves and use nonlethal management practices!