PORTLAND, Oregon – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Oregon State Police (OSP) are seeking information regarding the illegal killing of three gray wolves and two golden eagles in Wallowa County in Eastern Oregon. The deaths occurred in an area of known wolf activity, as defined by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). The Service is offering a $25,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, or civil penalty assessment.
From February through March, OSP Troopers located the remains of the wolves, eagles, a cougar and a coyote in the Lightning Creek drainage, a tributary to the Imnaha River. This location is within the Snake River Wildlife Management Unit and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, approximately 11 miles northeast of the town of Imnaha, Oregon. Testing and examinations conducted by the Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory determined the female gray wolf, male gray wolf and uncollared gray juvenile wolf, two golden eagles, cougar and coyote were poisoned.
Wallowa County is located east of Highway 395 where gray wolves are not listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act but are protected by Oregon state law. Eagles are federally protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The Service and OSP are conducting a joint investigation in cooperation with ODFW. Anyone with information about this case should call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (503) 682-6131, or Oregon State Police Dispatch at (800) 452-7888, *OSP (*677) or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Callers may remain anonymous. To report a wildlife crime to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, members of the public can also do so online at https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit https://www.fws.gov/about/region/pacific and connect with us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube.
