More horrible news from Idaho: most members of Idaho’s Basin Butte wolf pack have been mercilessly slaughtered from a helicopter.

This deadly action is a brutal escalation of the state’s war on wolves.

Please make an emergency donation today to support our legal, media, and national grassroots campaign to save the remaining wolves in Idaho and the Greater Yellowstone region.

As most of us prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday, sharpshooters firing from a helicopter carried out the death sentence of the Basin Butte pack [1] -- executing most members of the wolf family, including several 7-8 month-old pups.

This terrible news comes on the heels of Idaho extending its awful wolf hunt into the critical denning season[2] -- even as the state is over half way to its deadly goal of killing 220 wolves.[3]

Pregnant wolf mothers -- typically carrying up to six pups -- can now be targeted for death and any surviving newborn pups could face a slow death by starvation as key family members are killed.

Please donate now to help save the lives of wolves in Idaho and the Greater Yellowstone region.

For more than 35 years, Defenders has taken the lead to bring back wolves in the Greater Yellowstone and northern Rockies region. No other organization has a longer history -- or as much success -- in safeguarding these magnificent animals.

Right now we're...

• Reaching millions with our powerful video ad playing in Times Square;
• Demanding that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar immediately restore crucial federal protections for these wolves -- backed by nearly 100,000 signatures from caring supporters like you;
• Being featured in influential media like the New York Times, Focus Earth with ABC’s Bob Woodruff and regional news outlets like the Idaho Statesman; and
• Fighting in court where a federal judge indicated that Defenders is likely to win our case to restore protections for wolves in the region.

Unfortunately, every day the danger to these wolves is increasing. The Idaho Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife are holding lethal “derbies” to kill as many wolves and other animals as possible.[4]

Now, state officials have launched an aerial assault on wolves, escalating efforts to kill these amazing animals. 

Please donate today to help us save the lives of wolves in Idaho and the northern Rockies and protect the wildlife that you and I cherish.

Thanks for all you do to protect our wildlife and wild places.

Sincerely, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

P.S. It’s too late to save the lives of the Basin Butte pack members. But together we can stop this new escalation of wolf-killing and restore federal protections. Make a secure donation online, and we can put your contribution to work right away. Or, call 1-800-385-9712 to make your donation over the phone.

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[1] “Wildlife Services blasts Away Basin Butte wolf pack at Stanley, Idaho.” http://wolves.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/wildlife-services-blasts-way/

[2] The Spokesman-Review. “Idaho’s wolf-hunting season extended three months.”

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/19/idahos-wolf-hunting-season-extended-three-months/

[3] Idaho Fish and Game: http://www.fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/quota.cfm

[4] Idaho Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife: http://www.sfwidaho.org/SFW/Idaho_Predator_Derby.html