Court Denies Request to Prevent Sherman Pack Wolf Removal

A King County Superior Court judge denied the request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) from lethally removing one wolf from the Sherman pack in Ferry County on Oct. 31. This comes after WDFW staff investigated an injured calf in the Sherman wolf pack territory in Ferry County on Oct. 23, and determined the injuries as a confirmed wolf depredation.  

Washington Wildlife First and other parties sought to block the removal, which WDFW approved on Oct. 9. The removal authorization expired on Oct. 15, according to WDFW officials. Judge Suzanne Parisien of King County Superior Court found that petitioners had not established “a likelihood of prevailing on the merits of the case.” 

WDFW’s Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and wolf-livestock interaction protocol provide guidance on addressing wolf-livestock conflict, including lethal removal to address patterns of depredation. More information can be found at wdfw.wa.gov.