Dear friend,

This week, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon announced his support for policies that would ban the use of snowmobiles to run down and run over wolves.

Good for him.

That’s a no-brainer in the civilized world. But I’m certainly glad that Governor Gordon is stepping up to advocate for this urgently needed legislative reform.

A ban on killing wolves with snowmobiles is a good start, but that must not be the end of it. Wyoming’s policies toward wolves are so permissive as to be monstrously cruel—running down animals with snowmobiles, allowing the use of neck snares, unlimited killing of wolves in 85 percent of the state.

Yes, it was Cody Roberts of Daniel, Wyo., who shocked the conscience of the nation for his abuse of Theia, the posthumously named young female wolf he ran over with a snowmobile before torturing her in front of patrons at the Green River Bar. He then killed her after she endured his torment and mockery.

We have a $30,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and incarceration for at least one year. And we are in touch with prosecutors in Wyoming to see that justice is served.

But he’s not the only person doing terrible things to wolves, and Wyoming isn’t the only hotspot for such animal abuse. Idaho places a bounty of up to $2,000 for a dead wolf and allows year-round, unlimited trophy hunting. In that state, there are no prohibitions on running over wolves with snowmobiles. That’s also the case in several other states.

It's time to ban the barbaric practice of wolf ‘whacking’

Perhaps as soon as next week, we’ll announce national legislation to ban running down wolves and other native wildlife on federal lands with snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles.

The Federal Airborne Hunting Act already restricts chasing down and shooting wolves, polar bears, and other animals from airplanes and helicopters. We need a law that forbids using ground-based vehicles from exhausting or crushing animals. Congressman Troy Nehls, a former Texas sheriff, is going to lead this fight, and we are proud to stand with him.

The federal bill, modeled on one that has been in place in Minnesota since 1986, will not impede hunting or wildlife management activities on federal lands. The Minnesota law forbidding hunting and killing wildlife with a motor vehicle has been in place for nearly 40 years without any noted opposition or controversy.

Running down animals with speeding vehicles bears no resemblance to hunting, and it rightly appalls any civilized person.

There is a name for the depraved act of running down an animal with a snowmobile: “whacking” or “thumping.”

The victims are not just wolves, but also coyotes and other creatures.

Some sick individuals have proudly recorded their murderous behavior and posted videos of it on YouTube and elsewhere online.

A 2019 online article describes one instance in Wyoming where a “hunter” filmed himself repeatedly running over a coyote on his snowmobile, flattening the animal into the snow before peeling the still-living creature off the ground and swinging it by its tail, bashing its head on the side of the vehicle.

Anyone who can do such a thing to an animal is not normal or healthy. They are depraved. My guess is, they are people who would be a threat to commit other forms of animal cruelty, domestic violence, and other savage acts.

For the good of the animal victims, and to prevent them from making humans or non-humans their victims, we must make “thumping” or “whacking” a federal crime.

Join us in this effort. Do it for Theia and for thousands of other wild creatures who are vulnerable to future attacks.

We are not relenting from any of our wildlife protection goals—seeing Cody Roberts prosecuted, seeing all the states of the Northern Rockies region reform their wolf policies, and passing federal legislation to stop the worst excesses of violent thugs who get their fun by hurting animals in sadistic ways.

Thanks for sticking with us in this fight.

For the wolves and other wildlife,

Wayne Pacelle President Animal Wellness Action