Natural History Wanderings

SEATTLE – Today, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) released the official annual count for gray wolves living in Washington state; this year’s count tallied 52 wolves, an increase of one individual from the 2012 year-end population. The count also tallied five successful breeding pairs, the same number reported in the 2012 annual count.

Wolves in eastern Washington were federally delisted a few years ago, but they are still protected under state endangered species laws and managed by WDFW statewide.

Suzanne Stone with Defenders of Wildlife issued the following statement:

“The stability of Washington’s wolf population is good news, but the population is still incredibly vulnerable during these early stages of recovery in Washington and wolves have a long way still to go. It’s critical that Washington state wildlife officials focus on sustainable management strategies designed to encourage human and wolf coexistence and resist weakening important safeguards for recovering wolf packs in the state.

“We hope Washington is observing the tragic example being set in Idaho, where wolves are treated like vermin, and does not allow these anti-wolf attitudes to slide across the border and influence Washington wolf management policies.”

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