PETITION CLOSED
PETITION TARGET: Oregon State Patrol Fish and Wildlife Division
UPDATE (4/24/2023): Captain Stephanie Bigman with the Oregon State Police told Lady Freethinker in November 2022, “No suspects have been developed in these cases. The cases are still open and new leads are actively investigated.” Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to get any additional updates since then, but we’re grateful that OSP is continuing to leave this case open. We’ll update this story if we hear of anyone being held accountable.— Lady Freethinker Staff
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An entire wolf pack suffered cruel and painful deaths after getting intentionally poisoned in eastern Oregon, according to KTLA.
The suspect is still at large, and authorities are concerned about a series of subsequent poisonings that have killed more wolves, a skunk, and a magpie.
Wildlife troopers with the Oregon State Police (OSP) found all five members of the Catherine Pack – three male wolves and two female wolves – dead by poison southeast of Mount Harris, in Union County, in February after receiving a mortality signal from one of the collared pack members.
It’s the first time in the state’s history that an entire pack has been annihilated by poisoning, said OSP Capt. Stephanie Bigman.
But the deaths didn’t stop there. Within five months, eight wolves died – all by intentional poisonings.
In March, troopers found a female wolf from the Keating Pack dead by poison. Then, in April and July, they found an adult male from the Five Points Pack west of Elgin and a young female from the Clark Creek Pack northeast of La Grande – both dead.
Toxicology reports showed different types of poisons had been used, and authorities are concerned that the female wolf’s death could be connected to the earlier poisonings.
A loss of this many wolves to the state’s population of 170 wolves is devastating. The individual who committed these cruel and fatal acts must be held accountable before any more wolves – and other innocent animals – die these painful and unlawful deaths.
Sign our petition urging the Oregon State Police to continue the hunt for these wolf killers.
Conservation groups collectively have raised a $43,000 reward for information about these crimes, and the Oregon State Police now is seeking the public’s help, saying they have exhausted existing leads and not yet connected any suspects to these heartless wildlife crimes.
Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers are asking any person with information related to this investigation to contact the Oregon State Police through the OSP TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (677) or TIP E-Mail: [email protected]. Please reference Case #SP21-033033.
