Following a string of attacks on cattle, two wolves were killed Monday in southeastern Washington.
A yearling female and an adult male from the Columbia pack were murdered by staff members of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday, carrying out WDFW director Kelly Susewind’s lethal removal order from last week.
The removal order came after a calf was killed on December 29 inside a Columbia County corral. According to WDFW data, it was the 12th animal attacked by the Columbia pack this year.
The lethal removal order expires after the two wolves were killed on Monday. Additionally, an agency-issued production permit expires.
At least 56 cattle were killed or injured by wolves in 2024, setting a new high for wolf-livestock conflict in Washington, according to WDFW records.
In the last six months, WDFW has responded to cattle attacks by killing six wolves, including the Columbia pack operation.
According to WDFW’s 2023 minimum count, there were at least 260 wolves in the state spread among 42 groups. The Columbia pack was not regarded as a successful breeding pair and was thought to have at least three wolves.
___
(c)2025 Spokane, Washington’s The Spokesman-Review
Go to www.spokesman.com to access The Spokesman-Review, located in Spokane, Washington.
Tribune Content Agency, LLC is the distributor.
