Founder speaks at Pinetop, AZ USFWS Hearing

On Dec. 3, 2013 in Pinetop, AZ, HFW Founder Maureen Hackett commented on the proposal to delist gray wolves in the lower 48 states except for the Mexican gray wolf.  Dr. Hackett made the point that  wolves are hunted wherever they have been delisted.  Theses hunts will produce unpredictable outcomes for the wolf species and for farmers who may encounter more depredation due to splintered and dysfunctional packs. The wolf faces many challenges to even exist due to the many ways that wolves die including and most importantly by humans; legally and illegally.  A wolf hunt with "harvest" numbers is a theatrical act; the state agencies do not count or control how many wolves are killed in situations surrounding a hunt such as when more than one wolf is trapped or when a hunter shoots and injures a wolf that goes away to die.  Wolves have a history of being persecuted and this continues today. The wolf needs federal protection if it is to exist in the US lower 48 states.  The Mexican gray wolf is facing a hateful opposition to its precarious existence. Right now 70% of those in captivity are too old to reproduce and less than 75 Mexican lobos exist in the wild.  The USFWS has not released a wolf to the wild in over five years.  It is as if they are waiting for the lobos to quietly age into disappearance.

View brief video: http://youtu.be/I2OyY6d9AGQ