Endangered gray wolf shot and killed

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said two men have admitted to shooting an endangered gray wolf by mistake, thinking it was a coyote.  It happened on February 20 in southern Manitowoc County, near the township of Newton.

"There aren't many wolves in this part of the state. It's very uncommon," Department of Natural Resources Warden, Robert Stroess, said.

"The ones that come through are not ones that are going to be living here.  They're looking for territory or a mate," Stroess added.

The gray wolf is also known as a timber wolf.  DNR officials said the animal is commonly found in the northwoods, but the one that was killed, wandered more than 150 miles from her home in Oneida County.

She was one of about 50 in the state that had been electronically tagged by researchers to monitor the state's growing wolf population.

"We lost her sometime after the 20th of November and we weren't sure what happened to her. She apparently took a very long walk," Adrian Wydeven, a DNR biologist, said.

The DNR estimates between 540 and 560 gray wolves are in Wisconsin.  The animal is a federally protected endangered species.

The men who allegedly shot and killed the endangered wolf could face jail time but, since authorities believe it was an accident, they'll likely just be given a fine.

"They self-reported it right away and said they thought it was a coyote," Stroess said.

Officials are not naming the men since no charges or citations have been issued.  While gray wolves are about twice the size of coyotes, the DNR provided FOX 11 with pictures showing the physical similarities between the two animals.

DNR officials said wolf sightings could be a more frequent occurrence in coming years, as more are forced to wander into the lower 2/3rds of the state in order to find their own territory from the pack.

Some are asking that wolves be taken off the endangered species list.  That would allow the state Department of Natural Resources to manage the wolf population.

The DNR would likely allow some farmers to shoot wolves that attack their livestock.