WASHINGTON— United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service reported killing 404,538 native animals by 2021, according to new data released by the program today. The federal wildlife extermination program targets coyotes, coyotes, cougars, birds and other wildlife, primarily to benefit the agricultural industry in states like Texas, Colorado and Idaho.
According to reports, the multi-million dollar program last year killed 324 gray wolves, 64,131 coyotes, 433 black bears, 200 mountain lions, 605 lynx, 3,014 foxes, 24,687 cubs. beaver and 714 river otters. These numbers are almost certainly less than the actual number of animals killed, as people on the show have revealed that the Wildlife Service kills more animals than it reports.
“It is heartbreaking to see this barbaric federal program wipe out hundreds of thousands of native species,” said Collette Adkins, director of predator conservation at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The killing of carnivores like wolves and coyotes to supposedly benefit the livestock industry only leads to more conflict and more killing. This is truly a vicious cycle and we will continue to demand changes from Wildlife Services.”
The number of native animals killed in 2021 is equivalent to 433,192 animals killed in 2020. These numbers reflect a sharp decline compared to 2019, when around 1.3 million native animals were killed. . The red-winged blackbird is an example of a species where fewer individuals are intentionally killed by the Wildlife Service, with 15,096 killed in 2021 compared to 364,734 in 2019.
According to new data, wildlife killing program not intentionally Killed more than 2,746 animals in 2021, including bears, lynx, mountain lions, foxes, muskrats, otters, deer, turtles and dogs. Its untargeted killing of birds includes wood ducks, tree swallows, herons, and turkeys. Such data reveals the indiscriminate nature of the traps, snares, poisons, and other methods used by federal agents.
Wildlife Services poisoned 7,573 animals with M-44 cyanide bombs in 2020. Of these, 314 were unintentional. This month marks the 5th anniversary of the day an Idaho teenager was nearly hit by fatal M-44 poisoning. The incident received worldwide media coverage and prompted federal and state attempt to ban these devices.
“It is inexplicable that the Wildlife Service continues to target rare and ecologically important animals such as wolves and grizzly bears, forcing them to suffer and die in the wilds,” said Adkins. ruthless traps and pitfalls. “Taxpayer-sponsored wildlife slaughter needs to be stopped and replaced with a program that provides non-lethal tools that effectively prevent most wildlife conflicts. wild”.
In recent years, lawsuits and public outcry have restricted Wildlife Service operations in many states, including California, Idaho, Minnesota and Washingtonas well as localities like Humboldt County and Minneapolis.
