Grey wolves regain protected status

And now for something completely different(?!?!!)...

Efforts over 15 years to protect the species in the US have helped boost the wolves' numbers. This has been so successful that last year the US Fish and Wildlife Service removed Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection for wolves in Idaho and Montana, though not in Wyoming.

But last week, district judge Donald Malloy overturned that decision. He ruled that the law did not allow one part of the population to be hunted and another part protected.

"This decision is a significant victory for wolves, for the integrity of the ESA, and for all Americans who care deeply about conservation," says Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife, which was a plaintiff in the case.

"The service's decision to delist the wolf in Idaho and Montana reflected the strong commitments from the states of Idaho and Montana to manage grey wolves in a sustainable manner," says Tom Strickland of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. "Today's ruling makes it clear this wolf population cannot be delisted until the state of Wyoming has instituted an adequate management programme, similar to those of Idaho and Montana."

"The million-dollar question is how to manage the wolves with these new legal hurdles," says Sime. She says the parks service is looking at a range of options, including appealing the decision.