COLVILLE, Wash. — A wolf was hit by a car in Stevens County Saturday night on Highway 395 near Kettle Falls.
The Stevens County Sheriff's Office said in a press release that dispatch received a call around 6:30 p.m. about a wolf who was struck by a vehicle near Kettle Falls.
After dispatch received the call, they contacted wildlife specialist, Jeff Flood. Flood confirmed that the wolf that was hit was a grey, adult male with no tracking collar.
Flood contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to remove the wolf from the highway. The WDFW staff retrieved the wolf and will conduct a further biological examination.
It is unclear which pack the wolf belonged to. Washington currently has 21 active wolf packs. There have been occasional wolf sightings in the area over the years and have been a problem for some farmers.
Wolves were wiped out in Washington early in the last century, but begin moving back into the state from Idaho and Canada earlier this century. Gray wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act protections in the eastern third of the state, although they remain protected under state law.
In August 2020, the state of Washington killed the last two known wolves in the so-called Wedge pack in Stevens County, which had been preying on livestock.
