Wildlife groups in Utah are concerned that a female wolf spotted in the Grand Canyon last month may have recently been shot and killed in southwestern Utah.
The worries pertain to a radio-collared animal that was shot on Sunday by a hunter in the Tushar Mountains outside of Beaver, Utah, north of the Grand Canyon, according to azcentral.com. The Utah Division of Wildlife Sources said the hunter thought the animal was a coyote.
While the wolf's identity has yet to be confirmed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the wolf was a 3-year-old, female northern gray wolf that was collared last January in Wyoming.
The wolf that wildlife agencies are concerned about was first spotted in northern Arizona in October, making it the first northern gray wolf seen in northern Arizona in 70 years, azcentral.com reported. Evidence for this was found in a genetic scan test on the animal's scat done in November, which showed that the wolf was the first Rocky Mountain gray wolf seen in the area since the 1940s. Gray wolves, once common in the area, left in the early 1900s due to hunting.
A search for the wolf was started after state wildlife agencies learned the animal's radio collar was dead. While officials haven't been able to replace the animal's tracking collar, the Utah Division of Wildlife Sources said DNA tests could help identify the animal that was shot.
The northern gray wolf has served as a symbol of hope for conservationists for the species to make a comeback, azcentral.com reported. Michael Robinson, wolf advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said no matter which wolf died over the weekend, it was a setback for the whole species.
"Whether it was persecution or recklessness, it highlights that wolves still need protection," Robinson said.
A full investigation into the shooting has been called for, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Sources said conservation officials are still looking over the case.
