12 Wolf Pups Killed... U.S. Hunters' $24,000 Bounty Sparks Controversy

"It is despicable to kill wolf pups for a bounty"

Controversy has erupted after hunters who killed 12 newborn wolf pups in the United States received a substantial bounty.

According to foreign media outlets, including the British daily The Guardian, on Nov. 6 (local time), three hunters shot and killed 12 wolf pups with rifles on April 25 in the Idaho Panhandle in northern Idaho. The pups were estimated to be between one and three weeks old.

Wolf. Photo unrelated to specific content in the article. Pixabay.

The hunters received a total of $24,000 (about 32 million won). Under an agreement the state signed in 2021 with the nonprofit Wildlife Management Foundation, hunters can be reimbursed for expenses such as vehicle payments, fuel and ammunition if they submit evidence that they killed wolves. Until June, when Idaho's wolf hunting season ended, the bounty was $2,000 (about 2.7 million won) per wolf. The same amount was allocated for each of the 12 wolves in this case, bringing the total to $24,000. The funds came from taxes, revenue from hunting license sales and donations from private organizations.

The circumstances of the killings have sparked controversy. State records say that all 12 wolves were shot after the hunters spotted them and approached undetected. However, experts believe it is more likely that the hunters found a den, waited until the mother had given birth to all her pups, and then killed them.

Carter Niemeyer, a former official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services, told The Guardian, "It is impossible to track down and kill 12 wolves in a single day," adding, "It is despicable to kill wolf pups for a bounty."

Idaho has pursued a population-control policy in response to ongoing complaints about wolves. Under a management plan adopted in 2023, the state intended to reduce the wolf population to 650 by spring. However, the population was estimated at more than 1,100 this spring, hindering implementation of the plan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.