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Animal Behavior

Wolves and human arrogance: The wanton slaughter by Wildlife Services continues

Humans have learned nothing from the past - kill, kill, kill

Once again gray wolves are getting the short end of the stick for being the animals who they are. I'm dismayed and disgusted at a recent decision to ease wolf-killing regulations and I want to share this new decision with readers who might not know what is happening to these magnificent animals. Wildlife Services, formerly known as Animal Damage Control (ADC, that could also stand for Animal Death Corp), can now more easily kill wolves. Wildlife Services already slaughters tens of thousands wolves, coyotes, and other animals using the most inhumane methods (see also) and is also responsible for killing endangered species as "collateral damage." They killed twice the number of animals in the fiscal year 2008 than in the fiscal year 2007 including domestic dogs and cats, and 100,000 animals in Hawaii alone (for more data see). The numbers are staggering and sickening.

Many groups are calling for Wildlife Services to halt the massive and unnecessary killing of animals and if you care about what is happening "out there" please get involved. Write your senators and congress people and tell them to stop the slaughter. How arrogant we are - we exterminate animals, bring them back by reintroducing them to areas where they used to live, and then we kill them again. This kill, restore, kill cycle is a shameful activity and must be stopped. We just can't continue redecorating nature for our own selfish ends, Gretchen Wyler, founder of The Ark Trust reminded us that "Cruelty can't stand the spotlight" and it can't. We can all do something to stop the killing ways of Wildlife Services by exposing them for who they are.

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