Many on social media and in the real world are outraged right now over a report that federal agents with the United States Department of Agriculture killed 8 wolf pups that were adopted as part of a science program at Timberline High School in Boise, Idaho:
Feds kill 8 pups from Idaho high school’s adopted wolf pack, sparking outrage https://t.co/twGneCuej8 pic.twitter.com/X1VQRBgbYU
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) October 10, 2021
From the AP:
BOISE, Idaho — Conservation groups in Idaho are speaking out against the “inhumane” killings of eight wolf pups in the wild that were part of a Boise high school’s adopted wolf pack.
Following the killings, representatives from several Idaho groups in August sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking that he “immediately suspend the killing of wolf pups on all public lands by the USDA’s federal agents.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded last week by saying the agency works to find “practical, humane, effective and environmentally safe solutions to wildlife problems or conflicts,” but lethal measures can be necessary.
AND the school, whose mascot is a wolf, had been tracking the pack since 2003:
Timberline High — home of the Wolves — adopted the wolf pack in 2003 and had been tracking it since.
Liao is a member of the TREE Club at Timberline, an environmental club advocating to save the Timberline pack. The group has created “Save our T-Pack” pages on social media, where members have spoken out against the killing of the school’s pack members.
“They are justifying killing these wolf pups as a form of humane management even though these wolf pups pose no danger,” Liao told the Statesman. “It’s a very dangerous message for the federal government to support the killing of pups that can’t defend themselves.”
The “Let’s go, Brandon!” presidency is literally killing wolf pups now?
Shock + outrage at the federal government's killings of 8 wolf pups on Idaho's public lands reverberated not only through the conservation community, but through local Idaho schools as well.
Take action➡ https://t.co/WaysjkQB3r https://t.co/wre0PTBikO
— Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) October 10, 2021
Many are calling for the Biden administration to relist wolves on the endangered species list:
8 pups murdered from the Timberline pack in Idaho. This slaughter must stop. Wolves are being decimated without federal protections. If this angers you, call, email, share and get loud. It is past time to #relistwolves! @POTUS @SecDebHaaland @USFWS pic.twitter.com/fGkAOdkdxl
— Mary shabbott (@ShabbottMary) October 7, 2021
But, so far, the Biden administration has *defended* the actions of the USDA agents:
Yesterday, the Biden administration defended the USDA’s Wildlife Services’ decision to preemptively kill 8 wolf pups in Idaho to protect cows on public lands.
It's appalling that @WhiteHouse would defend such unscientific + inhumane activities.@POTUS https://t.co/KZedzc6bCg
— Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) October 6, 2021
What’s even worse is that the Biden administration actually agrees with relisting the animals as endangered:
With the Biden Admin acknowledging that Montana + Idaho's new policies may warrant relisting wolves there, how can it also defend its preemptive killing of 8 pups from that very population? And on public lands no less?@SecDebHaaland @POTUS, #RelistWolveshttps://t.co/KZedzc6bCg
— Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) October 8, 2021
Unbelievable.
***