A Washington farmer could be in trouble for shooting an endangered gray wolf that reportedly wasn't pestering him or his livestock.
State wildlife officials are investigating the case in Whitman County, where a farmer allegedly pursued the wolf for "several miles" by vehicle before shooting and killing it, the Associated Press reported.
No citations have been issued as this is an active investigation," said Steve Crown, state Fish and Wildlife police chief in Olympia, as quoted by the AP. "Once the investigation is complete, the case will be sent to the Whitman County prosecutor's office for a charging decision."
According to Fish and Wildlife's Nate Pamplin, the shooting did not appear to be within the statutory authority that would justify killing an endangered wolf since the animal was not caught attacking livestock and the shooting was not to defend the farmer's life.
The county has only reported intermittent wolf sightings in recent years since none of Washington's confirmed 14 wolf packs inhabit the area.
Gray wolves in Washington were hunted to extinction in the early 20th century; however, the wolf population in the state has since made a comeback after wolves began coming from Idaho and British Columbia.
State officials have been working to manage the recovering gray wolf species and encourage residents to report wolf activity and problems. The return of the wolf population has been causing conflict between the animals and farmers in the state.
Gray wolves, which are beneficial to ecosystems by keeping deer and elk populations in check, were once found throughout North America but became extinct in most areas of the U.S. by the 1930s, according to Defenders of Wildlife.
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