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For Immediate Release
Reward Offered in Killing of Wolf Known as B57
Boise, Idaho – Defenders of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have offered a reward totaling $4,000 for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the gunshot death of a wolf found near Fairfield, Idaho. The wolf’s body was discovered in late November in the Willow Creek drainage, near a frequently-used hunting road. It had been dead as long as two weeks.
"Whoever did this isn’t just a criminal, but a coward to boot," said Bob Ferris, Defenders of Wildlife vice president of species conservation. "Defenders of Wildlife hopes its $2,000 reward plus $2,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Service will lead to the speedy arrest and conviction of those who killed the wolf we called B57."
B57 was a three-year-old, large male gray wolf with a dark black coat. The wolf recently left its Thunder mountain pack near McCall, Idaho, and joined the Smoky Mountain pack near Fairfield. Aerial monitoring by the Nez Perce Tribe last picked up the signal from B-57's radio collar on November 7, 2000, at which point the wolf was alive and active.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent Paul Wyland noted, "We are currently investigating several promising leads in this case. The killing of an animal protected under the Endangered Species Act is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000 and one year in jail."
FWS has requested that anyone with information regarding the killing of B57, or who might have noticed suspicious behavior in the Willow Creek/Beaver Creek areas between November 7-23, contact law enforcement agents immediately at (208) 378-5333.
Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 400,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
