Final signature count: 33,502

33,502 signatures toward our 50,000 goal

Just over 40 years ago, mankind nearly wiped out the iconic gray wolf. The wolves were hunted, trapped, and poisoned until fewer than 1,000 remained. Just as their numbers were starting to recover in some areas, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the gray wolf was no longer protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Scientists say the new ruling will threaten the survival of the species and will do irreversible damage.

Today, approximately 5500 wolves inhabit approximately 15% of their historic range within the conterminous United States¹.

When wolves briefly lost their federal ESA protections in late 2011, nearly 1,500 were killed in just three seasons-including hundreds of pups².

With ESA protections removed again in 2021, gray wolves will be targeted by hunters once more. Their numbers are about to fall drastically, putting the species at risk of annihilation.

The recent failure of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources to protect gray wolves during their mating season will put the future of the gray wolf in further peril. The department initially planned a wolf hunt for the fall of 2021³, well after mating season. But Trophy hunters, upset their plans had been moved back a few months, sued the DNR for immediate wolf hunt and won.

The current hunting season will devastate many of the gray wolf packs in the state. About 20% of the state’s wolf population will be killed by trophy hunters, including pregnant wolves.

Aside from conservation of the beloved species, gray wolves are vital to healthy and biologically diverse ecosystems.

We urge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relist gray wolves to the Endangered Species Act and give them the protection they need and deserve.

Sign now and demand immediate action.