USDA Kills 8 Wolf Puppies; Idaho Reacts

Wolves and their future in Idaho have always been a point of controversy in the Gem State. For years, farmers and ranchers have complained about wolves eating their livestock and not being able to do anything about it due to the feds protecting the wolves.

Those protections ended recently, and Idaho Governor Brad Little and the legislature passed a law eliminating restrictions on how many wolves one can kill in Idaho. You can read the details of the new law here.

Now the killing of eight wolf puppies by the USDA has caused a backlash against the government. The reaction is not fueled by the usual suspects of wolf supports but by students of Timberline High School. The wolves have been monitored and watched by students, reports The Seattle Times.  

Get our free mobile app

Michael Leo shared his frustration with the killings to the publication. "It was really surprising to me that these animals that have been portrayed as killers are just animals," he said. "They're just living, they're not trying to kill things all the time, and so just to see that they're actually pretty peaceful and playful animals … was eye-opening." 

The Timberline students are not the only ones lobbying the Biden Administration to protect wolves from such killings. Groups throughout Idaho have written a letter to Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, asking the government to end the wolf killing immediately.  

The Idaho Statesman broke the story of the weekend, speaking to several advocates saying that nonlethal methods should be used to handle the wolf problem. The USDA wrote back to those groups saying that Idaho's situation requires the lethal action taken by the agents. The undersecretary explained her response by speculating that killing the eight wolf pups would discourage adult wolves from living in the area.