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Court Hearing Today on Northern Rockies Wolf Slaughter

By Rodger Schlickeisen  

It's too late to save Wolf 253M - "Limpy" to his many fans - who was shot and killed in Wyoming on the very day that the Bush/Cheney Administration eliminated protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies, including the national forests and wilderness areas outside Yellowstone National Park.

And it's too late for the wolf found dead earlier this month near a highway outside Grand Teton Park - illegally shot in an area where it was supposed to be safe - and the pack members that have been shot on sight in southern Wyoming.

But it's not too late to save hundreds of other wolves that could be killed under extreme policies in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Please join our fight to save these magnificent animals with your tax-deductible contribution of $25 or another amount that is right for you.

Today a federal judge in Missoula, Montana will hear our motion to stop the killing of wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area until our legal challenge to the elimination of federal protections for these amazing animals is resolved.

As important as today is - and we couldn't have gotten here without the support of caring people like you - our fight is far from over.

The Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday that at least 69 wolves have been killed in the in the 61 days since the Bush/Cheney Administration eliminated federal protections for our wolves. That's why Defenders of Wildlife is taking on federal and state attorneys in our fight to stop the killing.

Please support our ongoing efforts in court, on the ground and in the public debate to stop the slaughter and ensure a lasting future for wolves in the Northern Rockies.

We've won this fight before. In 2003 and 2005, we forced the Bush/Cheney Administration to consider the science and delay delisting of wolves nationwide. I know that - with your help - we can win again in the Northern Rockies.

Your contribution will help support...

Our fight in the courts. Today is one of the first of many court clashes over the elimination of federal protections for wolves. We need your ongoing support to maintain these efforts.

On-the-ground efforts. Each year, Defenders pays for "range riders", livestock guarding dogs, education and training, fladry barriers, fencing and other proactive strategies to keep wolves away from livestock - and both out of harm's way.

Grassroots mobilization. With your help, our staff has testified in defense of wolves at hearings across the region, mobilized hundreds to speak out on Idaho's proposed wolf hunt and generated headlines in Wyoming for the thousands of Defenders activists who called the governor to urge an end to the state's shoot-on-sight policy and much, much more.

Media outreach. Our staff continuously monitors media accounts, rebutting myths and distortions and countering statements by radical wolf opponents like Ron Gillett, who earlier this year said, "You can nuke 'em, poison 'em, dynamite - I don't care. I just want them gone."

And that's not all. We're working with allies on the ground and around the country to support balanced policies that ensure a lasting future for our wolves.

Will you help support these and other wildlife saving efforts? Please donate today and help us save Greater Yellowstone area wolves.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com