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Promoting torture by devaluing predators
- Stephen Cheslik
- Apr 15, 2024 Updated 1 hr ago
- https://trib.com/opinion/promoting-torture-by-devaluing-predators/article_2de47764-fb35-11ee-89d1-0fa3c557fded.html
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Wyoming just gave us the clearest example possible of why the state is unfit to oversee the recovery of gray wolves: Cody Roberts’ $250 fine.
By now, most people know that Roberts ran over a wolf with a snowmobile, taped its mouth shut, showed it off at a bar and then shot it. His behavior is despicable and horrifying, but the fact of his paltry penalty is further evidence that wolves need federal protection.
When a state entity that is charged with providing the protection of wildlife allows, even justifies, animal cruelty, this entity demonstrates their inability to responsibly manage carnivorous animals. Wolves are designated as “predatory animals” across 85% of Wyoming, exempting them from the standard limits on killing and seasons that apply under state wildlife management principles. The exclusion of “predatory animals” in Wyoming from protections against animal cruelty, ostensibly to shield the livestock industry, stands in stark contrast to scientific findings that demonstrate the ineffectiveness and counterproductive outcomes of lethal predator control measures.
TORTURING ANY ANIMAL, REGARDLESS OF ITS DIET, CONSTITUTES ANIMAL CRUELTY — A BELIEF PASSIONATELY SHARED BY WYOMINGITES AND PEOPLE WORLDWIDE. SO WHY DID THE STATE OF WYOMING EVER FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO EXEMPT PREDATORY ANIMALS FROM ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES?
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Indeed, the perpetrator of the torture of this gray wolf should be held responsible for his actions, along with all those complicit. But this highlights a larger problem with Wyoming state law, which has been outlined in scientific studies like Chapron and Treves’ 2016 paper, “Blood does not buy goodwill: allowing culling increases poaching of a large carnivore.”
The findings indicate that permitting the culling of wolves is more likely to escalate poaching activities rather than diminish them. Lax regulations on wolves in Wyoming, coupled with a complete lack of federal protections for populations in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, encourage abuse of these animals. Absence of federal oversight might lead to more instances of such behavior, especially given the prevailing pro-livestock industry bias within the state’s legal and political frameworks.
Policies allowing for wolf torture can communicate a lesser importance of wolves and perceived value of each animal within the species, normalizing inhumane treatment. The persistence of wolf poaching in Wyoming, with cases documented annually, indicates a deep-seated problem that is exacerbated by the lack of federal protections for wolves. This situation not only threatens the wolf population with extinction but also emboldens those who, devoid of remorse, target these animals. The recent lawsuit by conservation groups against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect western wolves under the Endangered Species Act highlights the urgency of re-evaluating and strengthening federal protections for these animals.
Wyoming’s narrow interpretation of animal cruelty laws, which excludes not only wolves but other predators such as coyotes, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons, red foxes, skunks, or stray cats, reveals a broader issue of inadequate animal protection laws in the state. This legislative gap not only facilitates the mistreatment of these animals but also places Wyoming at the bottom tier of state animal protection laws nationwide. Animal abuse is frequently seen as a sign of psychopathic tendencies and is regarded as a precursor to more severe forms of violence against humans, underscoring the pressing importance of this legislative deficiency.
In 2019, Rep. Mike Yin introduced a bill that would have criminalized running over wolves and coyotes with snowmobiles, which happened in the Daniel incident, but the bill was killed in committee. The reluctance of Wyoming’s legislature to amend these laws expresses a depraved extinction agenda for native predators. Let us not forget the primary justification for predator control is the protection of livestock.
The torture and killing of this gray wolf behind a Wyoming bar is a stark reminder of the need for a major overhaul of how predator species are protected and managed, not just at the state level but also federally. This case highlights the need to reevaluate the adequacy of regulations, and to institute reforms that prioritize ethical treatment, science-based wildlife management, and sustainable coexistence between wildlife and human industries.
Official: Snowmobiler who abused, killed wolf in Wyoming would face much larger fine, prison in Colorado
By Logan Smith
April 14, 2024 / 3:52 PM MDT / CBS Colorado
- https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/wildlife-animal-cruelty-law-snowmobiler-abused-killed-wolf-wyoming-larger-fine-prison-colorado/
A Wyoming man who was fined $250 after he reportedly hit a wolf with his snowmobile, transported the animal to his home and later showed it off at a local bar before killing the animal would encounter much greater penalties had his alleged offense been committed in Colorado, a state wildlife official confirmed.
The ongoing case – and the demands for revisions in Wyoming’s state statutes coming from some sectors of the public since the incident went viral this month – illustrates the distinct difference in animal protections between Colorado and its neighbor.
The Wyoming man, identified by Cowboy State Daily as Cody Roberts, was issued a misdemeanor citation by the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office following the Feb. 29th incident. His offense: Possession and transportation of live, warm-blooded wildlife.
In Colorado, such actions would first be prosecuted federally at the behest of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Travis Duncan of Colorado Parks and Wildlife told CBS News Colorado, because gray wolves are currently protected under the service’s Endangered Species Act. Following a conviction for the illegal possession of an endangered species, a person could face a fine between $2,000 and $100,000 and up to a year behind bars, Duncan said. Hunting privileges can also be suspended.
Additionally, state officials could also pursue animal cruelty charges against someone accused of similar actions to those alleged in the Wyoming incident.
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Neither federal or state laws apply in most parts of Wyoming like they do in Colorado, however.
Federally, the gray wolf was delisted from Endangered Species Act in Wyoming (as well as Montana, Idaho and portions of Oregon, Utah and Washington) by Congress in 2011. The bill was introduced as a provision during federal budget negotiations. After Congress passed it and the legislation survived court action, it went into effect in 2012.
It was the first time and only time, according to the International Wolf Center, that Congress removed a specific creature from the list on its own rather than accept or deny proposals from Fish and Wildlife.
There is still federal protection of wolves inside the Yellowstone or Grand Teton national parks. Plus, wolves can only be hunted during certain times of the year and only with permit requirements and limits to the number taken.
There is no hunting of wolves on the Wind River Indian Reservation, either.
But in the rest of the state – 85% of the it, as reported by Cowboy State Daily – is classified as a “predation zone.” Within these areas, there are no limits to the killing of wolves.
RELATED Wolves killed in Wyoming may have been part of Colorado pack (2022)
According to Cowboy State Daily, Cody Roberts was reported to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department by an anonymous source the day after the Feb. 29 incident. According to that outlet’s account relayed by two anonymous sources and a report from Wyoming Game and Fish, Roberts, who was hunting at the time, injured the wolf with his snowmobile. Roberts later brought the wolf to his home in Daniels, in southwest Wyoming, then to a local watering hole where at least one photo and video were recorded with him posing next to the wolf. The wolf’s mouth was taped shut in the photo shared with CBS News Colorado.
Roberts allegedly took the wolf behind the establishment and shot it, fatally, later that day.
More recent reports from Cowboy State Daily link to videos that have since emerged. One allegedly shows the struggling wolf lying on the floor of the bar, its mouth covered in a black muzzle. Another has Roberts bending down to kiss the snarling but prone animal on the snout.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office stated recently it is coordinating with Game and Fish to further investigate the wolf’s death and, along with the local district attorney’s office, whether further charges are warranted.
Some in the legal field believe they are.
“My sense,” said Tom Delehanty, a senior attorney in Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office, “just from reading Wyoming’s animal cruelty statute, is that it applies to Cody Roberts. “The statute carves out hunting, capture, killing, etc. of predators that’s done ‘in any manner not otherwise prohibited by law.’ But Roberts’ behavior was already found to be ‘otherwise prohibited’ because he was cited for violating laws against possessing live wildlife. So he shouldn’t be shielded by that carveout.”
“I believe Colorado’s state laws would interpret this horrific incident as a clear violation of criminal law,” wrote Lindsay Larris, the Denver-based Conservation Director for Wild Earth Guardians. “I am unfamiliar with state animal cruelty laws in Wyoming but, in Colorado and many other states, mandatory mental health evaluations are standard with crimes involving such depraved cruelty to animals. We know the link between cruelty to animals and cruelty to humans (especially as related to child abuse and domestic violence) and ignoring this reality makes the wolf killing incident in WY even more disturbing.”
RELATED Colorado releases 5 wolves under controversial reintroduction program
Rob Edward is Strategic Advisor and co-founder of the Durango-based Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, an organization devoted to repopulating wolves through the northern Rocky Mountains. That effort, too, separates Colorado from Wyoming to a large degree.
“From my perspective, it is important to note that Colorado isn’t in the same legal boat as Wyoming because our cultural ethos has evolved beyond the 1800s. Wyoming, on the other hand, revels in anachronism. The chest beating and faux repentance of Wyoming’s pols, pundits and even their Game & Fish Department over this incident rings very hollow given that killing wolves by any means, at any time of year is legal throughout all of the state outside of Yellowstone.
RELATED Some wolves reintroduced into Colorado came from packs with history of attacking livestock
Much of the general public has reacted with more intensity.
A Facebook page has been created for the sole purpose of berating the bar.
Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office posted on social media last week with a plea for restraint.
“(O)ur Office as well as Game & Fish have been inundated with thousands of calls and emails about the situation from all over the world,” the office stated. “We have become aware of a number of individuals who have resorted to threats of violence as their means of expressing frustration. Please understand that such actions endanger the lives and the peace of the residents of Sublette County, State and County employees, and innocent people outside Sublette County not at all involved in the situation. Threats of violence against Mr. Roberts or his family are also not appropriate. Additionally, expressions of violence and harassment can also result in hindering law enforcement investigations as potential witnesses choose not to come forward or cooperate for fear of retribution.”
In March, two Wyoming congressional representatives endorsed a letter to the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the agency abandon its consideration of relisting wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
“Decisions from Washington that led to listing and delisting this species created a mess of management practices that the states have been left to clean up,” Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis wrote. “Wyoming has managed wolf populations to appropriate levels. Best management practices are led by people in the State who are directly impacted and have spent many years balancing stakeholder priorities…We request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife continue to honor Wyoming’s state management of its wolves.”
Fury over Wyoming wolf torture allegations sparks demands for steeper penalties, reform
A Wyoming Man Allegedly Tortured a Wolf. He Barely Broke State Law.
Our columnist breaks down the laws that allow for animal cruelty
(Photo: Getty)
Published Apr 11, 2024
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Wes Siler runs Indefinitely Wild, Outside’s lifestyle column telling the story of adventure-travel in the outdoors, the vehicles and gear that get us there, and the people we meet along the way.
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On February 29, Daniel, Wyoming resident Cody Roberts allegedly ran a juvenile wolf down with his snowmobile, taped its mouth shut, transported it to the town’s Green River Bar, posed for photos with the animal, then either beat or shot it to death, depending on which version of the report you read. State wildlife officials received a tip about the incident, and later fined Roberts $250 for a misdemeanor violation of Wyoming’s prohibition against possession of live wildlife. No other charges or penalties have been brought against him. As of April 10, however, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office announced that they—along with the Sublette County Attorney’s office—are now investigating Roberts.
“The individual was cited for a misdemeanor violation of Wyoming Game and Fish Commission regulations, Chapter 10, Importation and Possession of Live Warm-Blooded Wildlife,” says the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in a statement addressing the incident. “The department’s investigation indicated there were no other statutory or regulatory violations.”
The 206-word statement itself acknowledges the controversy that’s raging around the incident, saying: “The department acknowledges the significant concern and dismay expressed by many people from around the state and nation.”
Why was Roberts able to torture a wolf to death with no serious consequences? The answer lies not only in Wyoming’s incredibly lax wildlife regulations, but also in the violence that permeates the relationship between the state and its most famous wild animal.
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After being extirpated in 1926, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reintroduced wolves to Wyoming in Yellowstone National Park in 1995. Wolves, the villains in many childhood stories, are a locus of fear for humans. But the animal also serves a vital role in its native ecosystem, where it helps keep ungulate populations healthy by slowing the spread of disease. And it does that at a net financial benefit to taxpayers, since tourists now flock to the state to view wolves. A study conducted in 2021 found that wolf-related tourism brings over $35 million annually to areas surrounding the park.
Speaking of taxes, before all the culture warring and fear mongering, it was the goal of the Republican Party to reduce tax burdens faced by the wealthy and corporations. The Republican Party’s policy positions are widely unpopular, so the GOP instead hoodwinks voters using fear and lies. The Republican-led Wyoming Statehouse passed a bill in 2021 calling to exterminate 90 percent of the state’s wolf population—a bill based on lies and misinformation. Pushing for policies based on fear instead of science has led to regulations around wolves that are unique among wildlife laws, mostly in their encouragement of cruelty.
When management of the species transferred from federal to state control in 2012, Wyoming’s political leaders established two distinct areas with differing population management goals. Areas adjacent to Yellowstone were set aside for trophy hunting, where wolf hunting is regulated. The rest of the state was designated a “predator zone” where wolves can be killed without regulation, reason, or justification. Wyoming also classifies coyotes, red fox, stray cats, jackrabbits, porcupines, raccoons and striped skunks as predators, and permits killing them throughout the state.
“You could pull a wolf apart with horses in 85 percent of the state,” explains Amaroq Weiss, Senior Wolf Advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. In the predator zone, there is no regulation governing how or when wolves can be killed. This stands in contrast to typical hunting regulations in any other state, where what are called “methods of take” are carefully defined to ensure animals are killed in ethical, humane ways, along with precise dates, to-the-minute guidelines on legal shooting hours, and generally universal bans on artificial light sources. The age and sex of animals it’s permissible to shoot are also written in law. But none of that is true in Wyoming’s predator zone when it comes to wolves. You don’t even need a hunting license or tag to kill one, just the opportunity.
Weiss cites “wolf whacking” as an example, and it’s how Roberts captured the wolf he would go on to torture and kill. The term describes using a snowmobile to run a wolf to the point of exhaustion. Once it slows or collapses, you kill the animal by running it over. As Roberts’ escapade demonstrates, sometimes that might take multiple impacts, and sometimes the animal is simply left to die a slow, painful death.
“Legislators in Wyoming are aware of the practice, and have declined to do anything about it,” says Weiss.
The wolf advocate points out that the wolf Roberts tortured to death is also, “probably not even a year old yet.” And was likely so injured by the impact with the snowmobile that it was unable to resist capture, or fight back as Roberts allegedly tortured it.
Why isn’t behavior like this covered by animal cruelty laws? Because, in Wyoming, those don’t apply to wolves.
“The incident occurred in a part of the state where gray wolves are legally classified as predatory animals,” explains Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s statement on the incident. “Predatory animals are not managed by the department and animal cruelty laws, per Wyo. Stat. Ann. 6-3-1008 (a)(vii) do not apply to predatory animals.”
Weiss also explains that, even if wolf abusers could be prosecuted under some statute, doing so would require willful participation from individual law enforcement officers, all the way up through their agency’s chain of command, and into the state’s political leadership. “Even if a [District Attorney] wanted to take up a case, a police officer would need to first bring it to them,” she says.
The only illegal thing Roberts appears to have done under Wyoming law is to move the wolf from one place, to another. Hitting it with his snowmobile, taping its mouth shut, dragging it into a bar, beating it, and eventually killing it all seem to have been not just permissible activities in state law, but the inevitable and intentional result of Wyoming’s policies.
And even while the wolf was left to suffer, Wyoming law worked to protect Roberts. Lawmakers there understand how controversial these policies are, so they created a regulation that conceals the identity of people who hunt and kill wolves. No such policy exists for any other species, anywhere that I am aware of. And even though the regulation doesn’t protect individuals who break the law, state wildlife officials attempted to use it to “shut down communications with the media,” according to WyoFile, a blog covering political affairs in the state.
This is far from the first event that sparked public outrage over Wyoming’s predator zones. The culture war surrounding wolves flared up last September, when one of the wolves Colorado reintroduced was lured into Wyoming and killed inside the state’s predator zone.
Since the scandal broke last week, state officials have been under fire from members of the public.
“I would be disappointed if anyone were to paint Wyoming with a broad brush and suggest that Wyoming citizens condone the reckless, thoughtless and heinous actions of one individual,” tweeted Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon in response to the outcry. Gordon, a Republican, refused enter into an agreement with Colorado to return their wolves when they cross the Wyoming border. Colorado has working agreements for the return of their wolves with Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Weiss says no legislation that might protect wolves from future acts of cruelty has been introduced in the state.
Eyewitness describes Wyoming wolf’s final hours in the Green River Bar
Bar patron who first alerted authorities of Cody Robert’s possession of a live wolf tells WyoFile what happened on a now notorious night in February.
by Mike KoshmrlApril 12, 2024
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Cody Roberts walked into the Green River Bar joking that he’d found a lost cattle dog. The woman tending bar that evening seemed to know what would happen next.
“The bartender goes, ‘Cody, you better not bring in a fucking lion,’” an eyewitness recalled. “She knew he was going to bring something in that was not a dog.”
Roberts didn’t listen. It wasn’t a dog and it wasn’t a lion, but moments later he reappeared with a muzzled, leashed wolf — an animal that wanted nothing to do with the Green River Bar.
“It didn’t want to go,” the bar patron recalled. “Like you know when your dog doesn’t want to go to the vet?”
The 42-year-old resident of the small western Wyoming town of Daniel muscled the reticent animal inside. The gravely injured wild wolf remained in the rowdy tavern for hours thereafter.
Wyoming, and the rest of the world, wouldn’t learn of Roberts and the wolf for a month. Since then, the allegations against Roberts — that he ran down the wolf on a snowmobile, taped the injured animal’s mouth shut and showed it off at the bar before killing it — have become international news. Authorities have released few details about what happened beyond two short videos and a citation that showed he was fined $250 for possessing a live wolf.
This account of what happened at the Green River Bar on Feb. 29 comes from an eyewitness to whom WyoFile has granted anonymity. The person, who was at the bar that night and later alerted authorities to what had occurred, is being left nameless at their request for their own safety. The worldwide outrage over this incidence of animal abuse has generated rampant death threats — even toward those who had nothing to do with it. The eyewitness provided WyoFile with videos from that night which corroborated their account.
Patrons of the Green River Bar had a mixed response to a wolf in their midst, the eyewitness recalled. About half of the 30 or so people who came and left the watering hole while the wolf was present that evening appeared to be friends and family of Roberts.
“People were petting it, taking photos of it, hugging on it,” the person recollected. “I want to be clear: He wasn’t kicking or beating or torturing it. The torture was in not putting it down when he ran it over.”
“He was a jokester about it,” the eyewitness added, “while it was just sitting there bleeding to death.”
Wounded wolf
The eyewitness who described the events of Feb. 29 to WyoFile also reported the incident to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. In response to the tip, State wildlife managers began investigating Roberts on March 1, the day after he brought the animal to the bar. By March 4, Roberts and his attorney met with wardens Adam Hymas and Bubba Haley, during which time he admitted to possessing the live wolf at both his home and a private business, according to legal documents WyoFile acquired through the Wyoming Public Records Act.
During the night at the Green River Bar, the eyewitness did not hear Roberts brag about how or when he acquired the wolf.
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But through subsequent communication with a Game and Fish staffer after the tip, the eyewitness was told that Cody Roberts admitted to running it over with a snowmobile. He “injured it so bad it could barely stay conscious,” one state employee told the eyewitness.
Roberts ran down the wolf in an area where Wyoming manages wolves as a “predator” — a zone covering 85% of the state in which there are virtually no regulations on how wolves can be killed. Bludgeoning wolves with snowmobiles here is legal.
Wolf biologist Doug Smith, recently retired from a decades-long tenure at Yellowstone National Park, has reviewed the footage of the wolf in the Green River Bar. Smith was confident the wolf was a yearling born in 2023, which means it would have been about 9 months old by late February. The retired biologist had a read on the animal’s behavior.
“It’s recovering from severe injury, and it’s probably got internal organ damage,” Smith told WyoFile. “The fact that this wolf should be freaking out — and it’s not — indicates it’s in pain and badly injured.”
It’s not always obvious when a wolf is dying from internal injuries, Smith said.
“Having necropsied wolves that have been kicked to death by elk,” he said, “it’s hard to tell externally that they suffered any damage and trauma.”
Roberts could not be reached for an interview. He declined to speak with Emily Cohen, the reporter for community radio station KHOL, who first broke the story, and could not be located when a WyoFile reporter tried to interview him at his home.
Mixed reaction
In the eyewitness’ opinion, Roberts, who runs a trucking company, thought the entire episode was hilarious.
“I don’t know if he’s literally low-IQ, and just doesn’t get that this shit’s not OK,” the eyewitness said. “He was drunk and rambling mostly. A guy who thinks highly of himself.”
After Roberts initially ignored the bar owner, she “didn’t waste her breath” and did not ask the Daniel man to leave or remove the wolf. The eyewitness could tell that the Green River Bar’s owner, who worked solo that night, “was not OK with it,” but was in a tough spot.
“His family were half the patrons at the bar that night,” the eyewitness said. “What are you going to do, kick the whole bar out and close up for the night?”
WyoFile’s attempts to reach the bar owner for an interview were unsuccessful.
Nobody forcefully told Roberts that he needed to put the animal out of its misery during the hours the eyewitness was present. Some patrons were clearly bothered by what was happening, but those folks just removed themselves from the situation and left, the eyewitness said.
Roberts, meanwhile, kept trying to draw attention to his prize.
“By the end of the night, he was calling it a wolf,” the eyewitness said. “He definitely admitted that he put the collars on it.”
In two short video clips of the wolf taken in Green River Bar released by Game and Fish on Wednesday, the prone gray-coated wolf is wearing what appears to be a commercial tracking and shock collar. The eyewitness never saw Roberts shock the dying animal.
The eyewitness left the Green River Bar not knowing what became of the wolf. Later, the witness learned from a Game and Fish staffer that the animal was killed.
A WyoFile reporter heard it was shot behind the Green River Bar when he visited the establishment.
Roberts was fined $250 for illegal possession of warm blooded wildlife, but that was the full extent of the penalty administered by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Subsequently, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office launched its own investigation, probing Roberts’ actions for potential animal cruelty violations.
“Our office, along with the Sublette County Attorney’s Office, are working with Wyoming Game and Fish to gather evidence and information relevant to the case,” a statement from the sheriff’s office reads. “As this is an active investigation, we will not be able to release any details at this time.”CONTENT WARNING: The following video contains footage of animal cruelty. WyoFile has chosen to publish it here in order to corroborate, and to fully communicate, the severity of previously described allegations. Viewer discretion is advised.
The eyewitness, who “loves” Sublette County, regrets how the community’s reputation has been tarnished because of one man’s actions.
“It didn’t need to happen,” the person told WyoFile. “It gives it a bad name. It’s a beautiful place, and there’s great people here. We’re not all Cody Roberts.”
The witness to the tormented, gravely injured wolf also hopes that law enforcement punishes Roberts much more severely so that he and others learn a lesson.
“He’s been going around town telling people it was worth it,” the eyewitness said. “$250? That’s a round for the bar.”
“I would like to see a law that is determined enough to keep people from keeping animals alive when they should not be alive anymore,” the witness added.
Shocking Video Shows Cody Roberts Kissing Weak, Injured Wolf In Wyoming Bar
National Animal Rights Groups Push For Cruelty Charges Over Wyoming Wolf Abuse
Two national animal rights groups are calling on Sublette County officials to bring animal cruelty charges against a local man who allegedly captured, tortured and killed a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming.
April 05, 20243 min read
UPDATE: Photo Shows Wyoming Man With Tormented Wolf Before It Was Killed
Animal rights groups are pressuring Sublette County officials to bring stiffer penalties against a local man who allegedly captured, tormented and killed a wolf Feb. 29.
But it’s unclear whether any further charges could be filed under Wyoming statutes, Sublette County Attorney Clayton Melinkovich told Cowboy State Daily on Friday.
As of Friday afternoon, no documents from a law enforcement agency calling for further charges in the case had come across his desk, he said.
“I can’t do anything independently on my own until something comes to me from a peace officer,” Melincovich said.
If and when such documents are sent to his office, Melincovich said he could make a determination whether to file charges against local resident Cody Roberts.
And even then, animal cruelty and/or wildlife harassment charges might not apply because of wolves’ status as a “predatory animal” in that part of Wyoming.
Animals Rights Groups Want More
According to accounts of the incident, a man captured a wolf after running it down with a snowmobile. He then allegedly took it to his residence, and then showed it off at a bar in Daniel, Wyoming, before taking out behind the bar and killing it.
Sublette County Circuit Court records show that Roberts was cited for a wildlife violation stemming from an incident that day, Feb. 29, and that Adam Hymas was the investigating agent.
A $250 fine for illegal possession of a live wild animal was issued in the case.
Two Washington, D.C.-based groups — Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy — sent a letter to Melinkovich and Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr asking them to bring more criminal charges in the case.
Melincovich confirmed that he had seen the letter.
It reads in part that: “Roberts’ actions clearly warrant a punishment more severe than the $250 ticket he received for possession of live wildlife — such an anemic response on the part of law enforcement will be seen by some as tacit approval of his crime and can only motivate other like-minded individuals driven by hatred of wolves to engage in similar, repugnant behavior.”
What Laws Would Even Apply?
As a predatory species in Sublette County, wolves would not fall under Wyoming’s animal cruelty statutes.
Wyoming legislator Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, who also served on the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force, previously told Cowboy State Daily that trying to change animal cruelty laws because of one egregious case would be an exercise in futility.
Wildlife harassment statues could possibly apply in cases of tormenting big game or trophy game animals in Wyoming, but probably not a predatory species, Melincovich said.
How wolves are classified in Wyoming depends upon which part of the state they’re in.
Inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, they’re classified as fully protected. In trophy hunting zones adjacent to the parks, they’re classified as trophy game animals — meaning that in those locations, the wildlife harassment charges could possibly apply.
But in most of the rest of Wyoming, including the area where the alleged capture, torment and killing of the wolf took place, they are classified as a predatory species. That classification also includes such species as jackrabbits, coyotes and foxes, animals for which cruelty and harassment charges would not apply.
Exposing the Big Game 