Federal Officials Request Assistance in Sixth Gunshot Red Wolf
Federal Officials Request Assistance in Sixth Gunshot Red Wolf
Reward up to $26,000
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting assistance with an investigation involving the suspected illegal take of a sixth red wolf in the last four weeks. In the latest death, the federally protected wolf’s body was recovered from private property north of the Town of Swanquarter, in western Hyde County, North Carolina, on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. The red wolf’s body had an apparent gunshot wound.
Anyone with information that directly leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, a civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property on the subject or subjects responsible for the suspected unlawful take of a red wolf may be eligible for a reward.
Pledged contributions from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, Red Wolf Coalition, Humane Society of the United States, and the Center for Biological Diversity have increased the reward amount for information on the suspected illegal take of the six radio-collared red wolves, five of which that were found dead in the last month in Hyde, Washington, and Tyrrell counties, North Carolina.
Note: Only the cut-off radio collar was found from one of those wolves.
A person providing essential information that directly leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, on the subject or subjects responsible for the suspected unlawful take of one of these red wolves may be eligible for a combined reward of up to $26,000. Individual organizations pledging contributions will determine eligibility for payment of any reward.
A total of 14 red wolves have died since January 1, 2013. Of those 14, three were struck and killed by vehicles, one died as a result of non-management related actions, one was undetermined but appears to be the result of suspected illegal take, and nine were confirmed or suspected gunshot deaths.
