A group of animal rights organizations has teamed up to file a lawsuit in an attempt to bring back federal protections for gray wolves in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Wolf hunting and trapping seasons opened in Wisconsin and Minnesota in 2012, and they could open as soon as this year in Michigan as well.
The Humane Society of the United States, Born Free USA, Help Our Wolves Live and Friends of Animals and Their Environment told the Associated Press that they filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday. The groups contend that taking the western Great Lakes region wolves off of the endangered species list has threatened their recovery.
“In the short time since federal protections have been removed, trophy hunters and trappers have killed hundreds of Great Lakes wolves under hostile state management programs that encourage dramatic reductions in wolf populations,” Jonathan Lovvorn, chief counsel for animal protection litigation at the HSUS, told the Associated Press.
But the gray wolf is actually thriving in the Great Lakes region. The USFWS continues to monitor population estimates to ensure they do not fall too low, but the organization has deemed the gray wolf “fully recovered and healthy” in the region.
The initial USFWS recovery goal for the gray wolf population in Minnesota was 1,250 to 1,400. The population is currently estimated at about 3,000 wolves. Hunters and trappers took 413 in the state this year.
The USFWS recovery goal for Wisconsin was 350 wolves outside of Indian Reservations. The current population is estimated at around 800 wolves. Hunters and trappers took 116 wolves in the state during the 2012 hunting seasons.
Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission is considering adding a wolf hunting and trapping season in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as early as this year. USFWS population goals were set at 200 wolves for Michigan. The wolf population is currently estimated at around 700 wolves in the state.