By Julie Marshall
Cats Aren’t Trophies reports that authorities have ample evidence to launch state and federal criminal investigations into organized anti-wildlife activists for documented obstruction of binational government work, most recently where communicated actions online and on the ground among activists reportedly caused the aviation diversion of a permitted and authorized flight landing at a local airport.
Activists using live flight tracking software targeted this plane that was tied to a critical time- and location-sensitive endangered species release involving multiple agencies.
CATs also reports that authorites have a sworn responsibility to address a larger growing list of well documented and reported actions taken by anti-wildlife activists, including criminal trespass with brandishing AR15s, as reported in media, presenting a violent threat to local citizens in tandem with threats to federally protected wildlife. Activists also issued documented threats to government workers, which were presented to a joint bipartisan General Assembly hearing.
Federal and state illegal poaching of an endangered species in Colorado goes unremarkably addressed, beyond a tip line.
“Coloradans have an opportunity like none other — to both restore the wild by recovering wolves and to have a thriving livestock industry enabled by nonlethal coexistence methods. The actions of some extremists threaten to undermine Colorado’s potential to restore our relationship with the natural world,” said Delia Malone, an ecologist and Chair of Rocky Mountain Sierra Club.
Colorado partnered in great trust with multijurisdictional plans and partners, issued permits and health precautions, which were all put in danger by a band of active and well-organized anti-wildlife activists. The public needs to hear that criminal investigations are being responsibly taken to ensure our public safety, our wildlife, is protected from further unacceptable, criminal and violent actions perpetrated by anti-wildlife activists. Even the wolf-shooter tip line appears to be silent.
If our government serving the people of Colorado, in trust with binational partners, for endangered species, does nothing publicly to show they are concerned and take these threats, possible criminal federal aviation obstruction and criminal deaths of wildlife seriously, then we are entering dangerous dark territory indeed.
In recent weeks, a plane conducting binational government work planned to land at Eagle County Airport but was at the last minute diverted to Denver International Airport, according to communications and flight plans.
According to a Jan. 19 Colorado Parks and Wildlife press release, Colorado Parks and Wildlife planned to release five wolves in Colorado on each of three dates: January 12, 14 and 16 in Eagle and Pitkin Counties.
Partners in restoring wolves included the British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service. A team of veterinarians, took precautions to ensure the health of cargo on a long flight, planned to land with secure appropriate permits and inspections, prior to transport near release sites in Eagle and Pitkin Counties.
CPW reports in a press release it had worked to release the animals “as expeditiously as possible” post-capture in British Columbia. Appropriate permits and inspections were conducted at the airport prior to transport to the Pitkin and Eagle County release sites. All animals were issued a Health Certificate from a British Columbia veterinarian.
Temporary pens were built to hold the animals while waiting to be flown to Colorado. Each pen contained hay (for bedding) and ice blocks (for a water source) for the animals while the team worked to capture wolves for each flight back to the United States. Before transport, the 15 wolves were placed in individual crates with hay and iceblocks for the flight from B.C. to Colorado and then transported to the release sites. CPW staff were on board to monitor the wolves’ health throughout the flight. The transport of the wolves to Colorado was made possible by LightHawk, a conservation-focused organization working over 30 hours of turbine aircraft time to facilitate the movement of the 15 wolves to Colorado.
However, a second landing planned for Eagle Airport was diverted to Denver International Airport, according to authorities and flight plans, in response to anti-wildlife activists presenting a threat to both government work and workers, and endangered species sent in trust with binational partners. News media reported these activists had staked out the airport after using live flight tracking software to target this plane.
Additionally, a ranching couple of Pitkin County reported to local authorities they experienced personal safety threats of violence by anti-wildlife activists carrying AR 15s while trespassing onto their property because these activists were seeking out a protected endangered species that was part of binational government work. Colorado Politics reporter Marianne Goodland reported from activist sources that Gray Wolves had been released on their property. This turned out to be false and the story was retracted.
News reports in the Colorado Sun, and Aspen Times confirmed anti-wolf activists had also trespassed onto the private property of a Pitkin County rancher, as they looked for endangered species released in the binational effort. The rancher reportedly experienced “dangerous and completely illegal behavior of two trespassers who came on his land carrying AR-15s.”
Videos on Wolf Tracker of anti-wildlife activists show anti-wildlife activists dangerously following CPW-marked trucks thought to carry out the planned binational effort for release.
Well documented violent threats had also been reportedly sent to government workers and were presented by staff engaged in the binational effort for release before a recent Joint House and Senate Agriculture Committee hearing.
Two wolves have also been shot dead, a federal crime.
Additionally, following necropsies conducted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, two of 10 Gray Wolves reintroduced into Colorado in December 2023 were found to have been illegally shot, with one of the wolves dying as a result of the bullet wound. The crime remains unsolved, with no tips as far as the public knows, being reported that could lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.
CATs Aren’t Trophies is a broad-based coalition that positively serves to protect, enhance and conserve wildlife of Colorado from unscientific and unethical treatment, with a focus on mountain lions, bobcats and lynx, as intrinsically and ecologically valuable predators tied to biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Julie Marshall is Colorado State Director for Animal Wellness Action and Director of Western Wildlife and Ecology at the Center for a Humane Economy. She can be reached at julie@centerforahumaneeconomy.org