ASOTIN COUNTY, Wash. — In response to repeated attacks on cattle on private and public grazing lands in Asotin County, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife authorized the lethal removal of two wolves in the area.
On Aug. 23, WDWF director Kelly Susewind authorized the lethal removal of one to two wolves from the group territory in Asotin County. This decision was consistent with the guidance of the state’s “Wolves Conservation and Management Plan.”
WDWF has document four occasions that livestock was attacked by wolves, which left six animals dead since May 2023.
The lethal removal of up to two wolves is not expected to harm the wolf’s population’s ability to reach the recovery objective.
As of Aug 28, the lethal authorization has expired as two wolves were removed.
An adult male wolf and a yearling female wolf were the two that were lethally removed from the group territory.
If additional livestock is attacked or killed, WDWF may renew this same plan which followed the guidelines of the wolf plan and the wolf-livestock interaction protocol.
The final report on this and other lethal removal actions during 2023 in the Washington gray wolf conservation and management 2023 annual report, will be available during spring 2024.
