THE FIGHT FOR WOLVES IS ON.

BREAKING: Federal Court Restores Gray Wolf’s Endangered Species Act Protection

This is a huge win for gray wolves and the many people across the country who care so deeply about them.

The indigenous communities rising up to protect the gray wolf

Since the gray wolf was taken off the endangered species list last year, hundreds have been hunted and killed in states like Wisconsin, Idaho and Montana. Now, tribes are leading efforts to stop the hunts.

Lawsuit Launched Seeking National Wolf Recovery Plan

The planned lawsuit urges feds to draft a plan that includes all populations of wolves in the contiguous United States.

Biden is letting down Indigenous leaders and wolves

President Biden isn’t living up to his pledge to respect tribal sovereignty. The administration has ignored Indigenous leaders’ demands for consultation on federal wolf protections.

78 Representatives Urge Relisting Wolves

A bipartisan group of 78 Representatives urging the Department of the Interior to “immediately issue an emergency listing to temporarily restore federal protections through the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to the gray wolf.”

A Tragic End to OR93's epic journey

I thank him for the hope he gave us and for a brief glimpse into what it would be like for wolves to roam wild and free again. I only wish we’d been able to provide him with a safer world.” — Amaroq Weiss

RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR WOLVES

Join us, Jason Momoa, Leonardo DiCaprio, Iliza Shlesinger, Conrad Anker, Filipe Deandrade and thousands more in our efforts to #RelistWolves.

Wisconsin's Fall Wolf Hunt Blocked by Courts

A recent court ruling cancelled what would have been the second wolf massacre in the state this year. In a February wolf hunt, state officials allowed hunters to exceed their kill limit by nearly 100 wolves.

First Nations across Canada petition the U.S. to relist wolves

The Assembly of First Nations joined the Union of BC Indian Chiefs in petitioning the Biden administration to reverse Trump’s U.S. wolf culls.

Former wildlife commissioners condemn Montana's wolf slaughter:

“In their zealous stampede to kill wolves by any means possible, the legislature and governor put state control of wolf management directly in the crosshairs.”

FAMILY – A short film asking Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to relist wolves

“These wolf extermination bills passed and signed into law by rightwing extremists at the state level demonstrate that they are not only hunting democracy to extinction, they are also conflating Euro-Medieval sadism with so-called wildlife management to the same ends with wolves.” — Rain Bear Stands Last, Director

Wolves in the West One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protection

The USFWS announced on September 15 that federal protections may need to be restored for gray wolves in the West.

US tribes demand emergency protection for wolves

Dozens of American Indian tribes just asked the Biden administration to immediately enact emergency protections for gray wolves.

UPDATE: Lawsuits and Actions

Need the big picture on all of the lawsuits and other actions to save wolves? We’ve got you covered.

Dream Big

When it comes to wolves, it’s good to dream big. Check out our report from a few years ago identifying more than 350,000 square miles where wolves could live in the lower 48.

America's Wolves

There used to be about 2 million wolves in North America. Now there are less than 10,000 in the lower 48. Learn more about our fight to save America’s wolves nationwide.

take these Urgent Actions today

The fate of America’s wolves hangs in the balance.

Do your part now to keep them safe.

PROTECT ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLVES

Help protect wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from new anti-wolf laws.

#SaveOurWolves on Social Media

The Situation Right Now

In February 2022, a federal judge restored protection to gray wolves, reversing a Trump-era rule that removed Endangered Species Act protection from the animals across most of the country. The ruling prohibits wolf hunting and trapping in states outside of the northern Rocky Mountains.

It’s a huge win that will hopefully prompt the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to abandon its longstanding, misguided efforts to remove wolf protections.

The February 2022 ruling does not restore protection to wolves in the northern Rockies. Wolves in that region lost their protection prior to the Trump-era delisting rule. However, in response to an emergency petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and partners, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined in September 2021 that protecting the species in the northern Rockies may be warranted – largely because of new laws in Idaho and Montana that authorized widespread killing of wolves.

We’re working on multiple fronts to ensure a real future for this iconic American species:

  • Working to bring federal protections to all wolves, including in the northern Rocky Mountains,
  • Fighting state-by-state against plans to hunt, trap and poison wolves,
  • Expanding and activating a powerful grassroots network to speak out for wolves across the country.

We can’t allow more than 40 years of wolf recovery to be thrown out by ruthless persecution and backwards policies.

These majestic animals occupy less than 15% of their historic habitat and, if they’re ever going to fully recover, they must be protected from coast-to-coast.

    What’s the situation for wolves in specific states?

    MYTH vs. REALITY: Wolf Recovery

    Sadly, many of the same attitudes that drove wolves to the brink of extinction more than a century ago still exist. Too often, fear and misinformation fuel wolf killing and state management policies.

    WOLF CONSERVATION PLANNING

    A guide from the Endangered Species Coalition for working together using science, inclusivity, and ethical practices.

    6 FACTS About Wolf Recovery

    There’s a lot of misinformation out there on wolf recovery.
    Help correct the narrative by tweeting these six facts.

    MYTH: Wolves are recovered in the U.S. REALITY: Wolves today occupy less than 15% of their historic habitat in the continental U.S., so they aren’t recovered and still need protection. #SaveOurWolves
    MYTH: Wolves don’t belong here. REALITY: There were once some 2 million native wolves in North America – and we’ve decimated them. They deserve a real shot at recovery. #SaveOurWolves
    MYTH: Wolf persecution is a thing of the past. REALITY: Idaho is about to wipe out about 90% of its wolves. Legislation in Montana could lead to the killing of about 80% of its wolves. #SaveOurWolves
    MYTH: There isn’t room for more wolves. REALITY: A 2014 analysis found that there are at least 530,000 square miles of excellent wolf habitat in the lower 48 but wolves currently occupy only a third of it. #SaveOurWolves
    MYTH: We can rely on states to recover wolves. REALITY: Most states have shown little interest in managing wolves in a way that ensures they thrive and grow. #SaveOurWolves
    MYTH: Wolves no longer need federal protection. REALITY: The U.S. government pulled the plug on wolf protection before the job was finished. #SaveOurWolves

    ANIMALIA PODCAST SERIES

    THE AMERICAN WAR ON WOLVES

    2021 has become a pivotal year, a year like no other, in the fight to save America’s gray wolves. Since Trump delisted gray wolves, states like Idaho, Montana and Wisconsin have taken aggressive steps to massacre most of their wolf populations.

    This four-episode series from Animalia will take you through a journey from the history and background on wolves in the US up through the ongoing ideological and political war playing out today over the the battle to protect this species from extermination.

    July 14, 2021

    Episode 1: Establishing A Foundation

    We highlight some of the many incredible traits of wolf behavior and sociology in order to lay a foundation of understanding wolves, their day to day lives, and role in the ecosystem.

    July 20, 2021

    Episode 2: An Historical Extermination

    A deep dive into the mid 1800s settlement of the West and the systematic extermination of wolves, onward through the 1900s and into the beginning of meaningful recovery efforts in the 90s.

    July 27, 2021

    Episode 3: The Challenges of Reintroduction

    A look at reintroduction and recovery efforts in the mid 90s through today, what has worked, and what hasn’t, and what we can learn from them.

    August 5, 2021

    Episode 4: The Landmark Battle of 2021

    The final episode will focus on the ideological and political war going on right now that may very well determine the fate of the species here in the United States.

    VOICES FOR WOLVES

    Commentary: Coexistence Must Replace Wolf Killing

    Medium – People, Animals, Nature

    Instead of returning to past policies that perpetuate the killing and vilifications of wolves, it’s time to enact more scientifically sound and ethically robust policies. Ignoring this important step forward will not only hurt wolves but Indigenous groups and those counting on governments to do the right thing.

    Guest opinion: New, extreme hunting laws show why states like Idaho can’t manage wolves

    Idaho Statesman

    Politics have too often interfered with the recovery of wolves. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Idaho and Montana, where a decade after the iconic species was stripped of federal protections, recently enacted laws will greenlight the slaughter of more than 2,000 wolves under the false pretense of predator “management.”

    Feds Must Act to Protect Yellowstone Wolves

    Bozeman Daily Chronicle

    The return of wolves to Yellowstone was a triumph of conservation but much of that work is being undone by hunters outside the park’s invisible boundary where 25 wolves have been gunned down in recent months.

    Washington state needs rules that avoid wolf, livestock conflict

    The Spokesman-Review

    If wolves are going to have a real future in Washington, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife should rely on science to develop management rules that prevent the killing of wolves while also protecting livestock. Conflict between the two isn’t inevitable.