U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement agents have confirmed the
death of a male gray wolf, believed to have been shot, in Camas County near Fairfield.
The wolf, known as B-57, had been dead for one to two weeks before being
discovered Thursday in the Willow Creek drainage, in close proximity to a frequently used
road.
B-57 was a large black wolf weighing more than 130 pounds and was about
three years old. The gray wolf dispersed from the Thunder Mountain Pack near McCall and
had recently joined the Smoky Mountain Pack in the Fairfield Area.
The Nez Perce Tribes aerial monitoring efforts indicated the wolf
was last seen alive on Nov. 7.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has offered a $2,000 reward for the arrest
and conviction of the person or persons responsible for killing the wolf. In addition,
Defenders of Wildlife has contributed another $2,000 toward the reward.
"Whoever did this isnt just a criminal, but a coward to
boot," said Bob Ferris, vice president of species conservation for Defenders of
Wildlife. "Defenders of Wildlife hopes the additional $2,000 reward we are offering
leads to the speedy arrest and conviction of the perpetrator."
There are several promising leads in the case, Fish and Wildlife Service
special agent Paul Weyland said. However, he would not discuss what those leads are.
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.