Reward Offered in Suspected Red Wolf Poaching in North Carolina
The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally killing an endangered red wolf in North Carolina.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The Humane Society of the United States and The Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally killing an endangered red wolf in North Carolina. Additionally, anyone who has essential information that directly leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction, a civil penalty assessment, or forfeiture of property on the subject or subjects responsible may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Case:
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on Oct. 4, the body of a red wolf was discovered at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County, N.C. It is believed that the wolf was killed illegally.
“This killing of this highly endangered wild animal is truly appalling, and we implore anyone with information to come forward,” said Kimberly Alboum, North Carolina state director for The HSUS. “We are extremely grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for their tireless work to solve this egregious crime.”
The red wolf is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. The person or persons responsible could face up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison per wolf.
The HSUS and HSWLT have an existing reward offer for unsolved red wolf killings that took place in neighboring Hyde County in April.
Poaching:
Wildlife officials estimate that for every wild animal killed legally — tens of millions of animals per year — another is killed illegally. Every year, thousands of poachers are arrested nationwide; however, it is estimated that only 1 percent to 5 percent of poachers are caught. Poachers injure or kill wildlife anytime, anywhere and sometimes do so in particularly cruel ways. Wildlife officials report that poachers often commit other crimes as well. The HSUS and HSWLT work with state and federal wildlife agencies to offer rewards of $2,500 for information leading to arrest and conviction of suspected poachers.
The Investigators:
Anyone with information on the deaths of these red wolves or any others, past or future, is urged to contact Special Agent Sandra Allred at ( 919 ) 856-4786, Refuge Officer Jay Eddy at ( 252 ) 216-8724, Refuge Officer Chris Smith at ( 252 ) 926-4021, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Officers C.P. White at ( 252 ) 558-6649 or Robert Wayne at ( 252 ) 216-8225.
The HSUS works to stop poaching across the country. Visit humanesociety.org/poaching for more information.
-30-
Related Content
Published by:
Release Date
This story was released on 2010-10-08. Please make sure to visit the official company or organization web site to learn more about the original release date. See our disclaimer for additional information.