$10,000 Reward Offered in Investigation of Protected Gray Wolf Killing in Oregon

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the illegal killing of a federally protected gray wolf in Morrow County, Oregon.

According to a news release from the agency, the male gray wolf, identified by researchers as OR 159, was found dead on private property approximately 20 miles south of Heppner on November 8. The wolf was radio-collared as part of ongoing conservation and tracking efforts.

The killing occurred west of Highway 395, where gray wolves are federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The USFWS and the Oregon State Police (OSP) are conducting a joint investigation into the incident.

“We take the illegal killing of protected species very seriously,” the USFWS said in the release.

Officials are urging anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward. The public can contact the USFWS at (503) 682-6131 or reach out to OSP Dispatch at (800) 452-7888. Tips can also be sent via text to *OSP (*677) or emailed to [email protected]. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

The illegal killing of gray wolves undermines conservation efforts for this endangered species, which has struggled to recover in the Pacific Northwest.