Dems demand red wolf protections

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is under pressure once again to protect endangered red wolves.

The FWS announced in September it was abandoning a red wolf recovery program in North Carolina after a failed attempt to reintroduce these creatures into the wild.

But Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) along with several other Democrats are calling on the federal government to reinstate the recovery program.

“The agency is bowing to political pressure and ignoring its own experts, and that’s a terrible sign for the species,” Grijalva said Wednesday. 

There are about 28 remaining red wolves, according to the lawmakers.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who oversees the FWS, the lawmakers ask that the government reinstate the recovery program and continue reintroducing red wolves into the wild. They also called for law enforcement to investigate the red wolf killings.

Half a million animal rights activists have also criticized the decision and petitioned for stronger protections.