Denali National Park Wolves

Please take urgent action for Denali National Park Wolves.

As wolf hunting and trapping season comes to a close, with the last day for trapping a week away (article below), and already eight wolves reported “harvested” we mourn the loss of wolf packs which we had grown attached to, and wonder which families have suffered greatly at the hands of man “kind” this season. Hunting will resume in August and trapping in November. If you haven’t already done so please sign this petition to secure a permanent no-kill buffer along the park boundary.

Denali National Park and Preserve Wolf Pack Narratives (prior to this season's hunt). Tap image for information. — Denali National Park and Preserve Wolf Pack Narratives (prior to this season’s hunt). Tap image for information.

From the Newsminer:

State biologists issued an emergency order Friday, March 30th, closing the wolf hunting and trapping season on state land along the Stampede Trail, including land adjacent to the eastern boundary of Denali National Park and Preserve.

Hunting season for wolves had been scheduled to run through April 15, and trapping season was to end on April 30. The wolf season will remain open for hunters until 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 2nd, and for an additional week for trappers, until 11:59 p.m. April 9. The final number of wolves legally killed in the unit won’t be known until trappers report their harvest. They have until 30 days after the season closes to file their report.

Gray wolf howls in Denali National park, interior, Alaska.

The area has been the site of a years-long political and public policy battle about the killing of wolves that roam on state and federal land.

“Preliminary data indicate up to eight wolves have been taken this year in the area near the Stampede Trail, though exact harvest locations are unknown,” a news release from the Department of Fish and Game reads. “Over the last five years, the average area harvest has been about four wolves per year.” Full article here.