Beloved Yellowstone Wolf Was Just Shot Dead To Be A Trophy
This tragedy should be one more wake-up call. Wolves are a keystone species — an essential part of the ecosystem — and when their packs are decimated, this can have a resounding impact on other species.
SARAH SCHWEIG: ‘An iconic and beloved member of Yellowstone National Park’s most famous wolf pack was just shot dead by a trophy hunter — and it was totally legal. Lamar Canyon Wolf Pack member 926F, also known as Spitfire, was killed just a few miles outside the entrance to the park in Montana. “We are heartbroken to share the news that the wolf killed outside the park was 926F of the Lamar Canyon Pack,” wolf advocacy organization Wolves of the Rockies wrote on Wednesday. The organization confirmed the news with the park. Spitfire’s mother, 06F, was also killed by a hunter back in 2012. Wolves of the Rockies credits Spitfire with helping to keep the pack together after her mother’s death.
“Once wolves step outside park boundaries they have zero protection,” Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense — an organization that seeks to protect native predators from a multitude of threats, including those from trophy hunters as well as state wildlife agencies seeking to control wolf populations — told The Dodo. “This tragedy should be one more wake-up call”… Wolves are a keystone species — an essential part of the ecosystem — and when their packs are decimated, this can have a resounding impact on other species. “The importance of a keystone predator such as the wolf to a balanced and resilient ecosystem is undeniable,” the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) explained’. SOURCE…
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