ODFW Remove Central/Eastern Oregon grey wolf following unsuccessful deterrence

CENTRAL/EASTERN OREGON – (Release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) Today (February), federal officials lethally removed an endangered gray wolf, OR158, following multiple unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence and increasing concerns about public safety and was taken as a last resort. The removal of an endangered gray wolf aligns with federal regulations under the authority of 50 CFR17.21(c)(3)(iv), which provides for removing animals listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act that constitute a demonstrable but non-immediate threat to human safety.  

This lethal removal followed 8 confirmed depredations, and 4 probable depredations attributed to the wolf, extensive unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence (including range riders, spotlighting, pasture monitoring, fox lights, air cannons, non-lethal projectiles, carcass removal and drones with thermal optics), and increasing concerns about public safety. You can read the deterrence plan for OR158 to learn more about how ODFW and the other agencies had been working with producers to utilize non-lethal methods. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and USDA Wildlife Services will continue working with all parties to ensure producers have the best tools in hand, as well as agency support and resources, to prevent and respond to wolf conflict before it escalates. Catching a wolf in the act of approaching livestock and applying deterrents at that time remains the most effective.  

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