Why Boebert’s Wildlife Bill Could Lead to Gray Wolf Extinction

Lauren Boebert’s extreme anti-wolf bill, deceptively named bill, “Pet and Livestock Protection Act” has unfortunately passed a full house vote. The bill actually has little to do with protecting pets and livestock, and is instead a thinly veiled attempt to destroy the wildly successful Endangered Species Act, and launch a vicious attack on one of nature’s most important apex animals.

In a report by Susan Holmes of endangered. org, “In a 209 to 205 vote, today the U.S. House Representatives passed Rep. Boebert’s bill to remove Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves across the continental United States and Mexico. The move takes place only a few weeks after a Wyoming man publicly abused and killed a young gray wolf,” after crushing it under his snowmobile.

“This move by extremists in Congress to push forward an anti-wolf, anti-science bill is irresponsible and emboldens cruelty towards gray wolves,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director. “The recent torture and killing of a young gray wolf in Wyoming shows how critical the Endangered Species Act protections are for the survival of this species core to our country’s natural heritage.”

A 2019 study by the Humane Society says, “Livestock Predation by Gray Wolves Nearly Nil. Gray wolves cause just over one percent of cattle and sheep losses in states where they live.” Ranchers conveniently leave out the fact that illnesses cause 90% of livestock losses. They will not tell you that the real reason they want the protection of wolves to end is because they just simply enjoy killing wolves, by any means necessary. As mentioned earlier in this post, these methods include, running predators down with snowmobiles, trapping, strangling with snares, and gut shooting. Gut shooting involves shooting wolves in the stomach so they don’t die immediately. Instead they die a long and torturous death that can leave them suffering for days.

“Rep. Boebert’s bill undermines the integrity of the Endangered Species Act by forcing the reinstatement of a scientifically indefensible delisting rule,” said Jewel Tomasula, Policy Advisor for the Endangered Species Coalition. “Wildlife decisions should be made by scientists, not politicians.” This bill will forever set the precedent for politicians and special interest groups interfering with wildlife policy, endangering every animal that gets in the way of a politician’s ambition.

The delisting of wolves by the Trump administration at the end of his first term resulted in a wanton slaughter of wolves in all manner of cruel and inhumane methods. By the end of that first legal hunting season, Yellowstone National Park had been deprived of a third of it’s extremely popular tourist attraction. If ending endangered species protection is allowed to be codified by Boebert’s bill, western ranchers and hunters will waste no time driving the animal to extinction, while gleefully preventing all other outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts the opportunity to ever hear the spiritual howl of the wild wolf ever again.

It’s not too late however, the bill still has to pass the senate and be signed into law by President Trump. Call your senators incessantly until they get the message that this an unnecessary and cruel bill crafted by special interests that will set a terrifying precedent for science oriented wildlife management.