The headline tells the story — North Dakota’s First Wolverine In 150 Years Is Immediately Shot And Killed By Rancher.
The first verified wolverine spotted in North Dakota in nearly 150 years was shot and killed by a rancher last month.The rancher said the animal had been harassing livestock when he shot it, which would make it a legal kill, according to the Helena Independent Record.
The rancher “came out to a calving pasture and the cows had surrounded the wolverine and he felt it was a threat,” state furbearer biologist Stephanie Tucker told the newspaper.
The wolverine, known to wildlife officials as M56, had made headlines in 2009 for traveling some 500 miles from Wyoming into Colorado...
The status of the wolverine has been under debate for a number of years. In 2014, federal officials declined to add the wolverine to the list of endangered and threatened species.
However, a federal judge last month ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reevaluate that decision after a lawsuit from environmental groups.
Following that endangered species link, we learn that there are an estimated 300 wolverines in the lower 48. According to Google, which quotes the USDA, there are approximately 98.4 million cows in the United States.
If that wolverine had been listed, it would have been illegal for ranch hand Jared Hatter to shoot it. He would have been in hot water then!
It is not clear that Jared knew what kind of animal he was looking at, which is not surprising considering the fact that no wolverine had been spotted in North Dakota in nearly 150 years. In any case, Hatter did nothing "wrong"
In either case, officials say that Hatter appeared to have done nothing wrong. Although North Dakota may not have had a visit from a wolverine in well over a century, the state surprisingly still has a closed hunting season for the animal. More to the point, the state also allows ranchers to kill predators that attack or harass livestock.
Shoot first, ask questions later.
Have a nice weekend.
Blade Runner was based on a novel by Philip. K. Dick "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?". From Wikipedia, the background of the novel:
"On Earth, owning real live animals is a status symbol for keeping up with the Joneses, due to mass extinctions and the accompanying cultural push for greater empathy that has motivated a technology-based religion called Mercerism."
Great choice for video!
Posted by: Max P. | 05/13/2016 at 11:42 AM