Priscilla Feral

Dear Friends of Animals,

I have just returned from Pasadena, where I stood on your behalf in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as an Amicus Curiae – Friend of the Court.

Friends of Animals’ brief supported a filing for an injunction submitted and argued by Attorney Jay Tutchton of WildEarth Guardians on behalf of an alliance of non-profits litigating to return federal protection to the wolves of the northern Rocky Mountains. The case asserts that Congress used an unconstitutional method (slipping a rider onto a must-pass budget bill in April) to remove Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho, Montana, and parts of Oregon, Washington and Utah.

Idaho and Montana have, since August, offered more than 36,000 hunting permits against wolves. Hundreds of wolves are now being killed. In their case against federal protection, the states insist this bloody business won’t endanger the wolf population.

Yet Montana wildlife biologist Jay Mallonee recently reviewed the state’s data regarding wolf population numbers and found that wildlife agency figures are derived through faulty mathematics. Consequently, any management decisions based on the data are also flawed.

The Ninth Circuit is considering an emergency stop to the state-sponsored, systematic assault on wolves as the judges review the merits of the litigation. We gave it our best shot; now, it’s in the judges’ hands.

Meanwhile, we’ll not sit on ours. Friends of Animals members and supporters are holding Howl-Ins from New York to Montana. Contact Dustin Rhodes for help setting one up in your town. We look forward to working with you for the future of wolves of the Western States.

We also ask people who care about wolves ““ and that should be a global population ““ to continue to boycott Idaho and Montana, where wolves are being actively targeted. (This includes Yellowstone National Park travel.)

Thank you for being a supporter of Friends of Animals. As always, I can assure you your determination is being seen and heard where it matters most.

Sincerely,

Priscilla Feral,
President
Friends of Animals