Relist Gray Wolves To The Endangered Species Act!
33,419 signatures toward our 50,000 Goal
Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
Gray wolves were just stripped of ESA protections and are in danger once again.
Just over 40 years ago, mankind nearly wiped out the iconic gray wolf. The wolves were hunted, trapped, and poisoned until fewer than 1,000 remained. Just as their numbers were starting to recover in some areas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the gray wolf was no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Scientists say the new ruling will threaten the survival of the species and will do irreversible damage.
Today, approximately 5500 wolves inhabit approximately 15% of their historic range within the conterminous United States1.
When wolves briefly lost their federal ESA protections in late 2011, nearly 1,500 were killed in just three seasons-including hundreds of pups2.
With ESA protections removed again in 2021, gray wolves will be targeted by hunters once more. Their numbers are about to fall drastically, putting the species at risk of annihilation.
The recent failure of Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources to protect gray wolves during their mating season will put the future of the gray wolf in further peril. The department initially planned a wolf hunt for the fall of 20213, well after mating season. But Trophy hunters, upset their plans had been moved back a few months, sued the DNR for immediate wolf hunt and won.
The current hunting season will devastate many of the gray wolf packs in the state. About 20% of the state's wolf population will be killed by trophy hunters, including pregnant wolves.
Aside from conservation of the beloved species, gray wolves are vital to healthy and biologically diverse ecosystems.
We urge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relist gray wolves to the Endangered Species Act and give them the protection they need and deserve.
Sign now and demand immediate action.
More About This Issue
- Earthjustice (15 July 2019), "1.8 Million Americans Speak Out Against Stripping Federal Protections from Wolves."
- The Humane Cosiety of the United states (9 October 2020), "Breaking news: The U.S. just delisted gray wolves so trophy hunters can kill them."
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (2021), "Wolves in Wisconsin."
The Petition:
To: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
We urge you to return gray wolves to the Endangered Species Act and provide them the protection they need to flourish.
The new ruling will undo decades of recovery and put the iconic species at risk once again. Gray wolves were just starting to return to areas where they once roamed free, but their freedom will be short-lived.
As previous delistings have shown, gray wolves have not fully recovered and without ESA protections will be hunted into near extinction.
The fate of gray wolves is in your hands, and the only solution is to reinstate them to the Endangered Species Act.
Help protect America's gray wolf population before it's too late.
Your swift action is appreciated.
Sincerely,
