The Latest News on Brittish Columbia’s Unethical Wolf Hunt from Earth Island Journal

British Columbia Government Using ‘Judas’ Wolf in Unethical Hunt, Say Wildlife Advocates BY ELIZABETH CLAIRE ALBERTS – MARCH 9, 2016
Collared wolf may be kept alive to help government track and kill pack members time and time again

The mass killing of gray wolves in British Columbia (BC) has ignited a bitter feud between Canadian government officials and conservationists. The government has insisted that the cull, which began in early 2015, is the only way to save the critically endangered mountain caribou, while wildlife advocates argue that wolves are merely being scapegoated for habitat loss in the region. In recent weeks, the battle has heated up with the release of audio clips of recorded interview with a retired wildlife patrol guide who outlines the controversial methods used in the culls.  

In the interview, released by the nonprofit Wildlifr Defence League the man — who remains anonymous but claims to work for the BC government’s caribou recovery program — explains that a wolf is caught in foot traps, tranquilized, and fitted with a radio collar. When the collared wolf rejoins his pack, the entire pack can then be tracked and killed by gunmen in helicopters. Above the sound of rattling machinery, the source also reveals that the collared wolf is kept alive to track and kill any new pack members: “They leave that one with the radio collar to live, and now they can come back, and okay he’s got buddies, better take them out.” Although the source didn’t specify whether the wolf would be kept alive for next season’s cull, members of the Wildlife Defence League believe that he will be. [to read more on: British Columbia Government Using ‘Judas’ Wolf in Unethical Hunt, Say Wildlife Advocates, click HERE]

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Image: Ian McAllister