A Wyoming man was fined after he allegedly tormented a wolf by taping its mouth and parading it around his local bar before shooting it dead.
Cody Roberts, 42, of Daniel, Wyoming, was cited and fined for being in possession of a live wolf during an incident on February 29.
Roberts, an avid hunter, captured the wolf before allegedly taping its mouth shut and showing it off at his local pub, according to a witness who saw disturbing pictures of the debacle.
According to Cowboy State Daily, the gross display took place at the Green River Bar in Sublette County.
The 42-year-old, who is a father and owns a trucking company, allegedly ran the wolf down with a snowmobile and disabled it – but instead of killing the animal there and then, he allegedly kept it, took it home and then brought it to the bar.
Finally, he allegedly took the tortured animal behind the bar and killed it.
It is legal to kill wolves in the part of Sublette County where the distressing incident took place. However, by keeping the animal alive and tormenting it as Roberts allegedly did, he was violating hunting ethics.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department confirmed that an individual had been cited and fined for the misconduct, but did not name them.
However, Sublette County Circuit Court records show that Roberts, a local resident, was cited for a wildlife violation stemming from an incident that took place on February 29.
According to public records, Roberts has a hunting and fishing license.
Roberts did not immediately respond to the DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Adam Hymas, the responding officer, was also contacted but DailyMail.com did not receive a response as of publication.
In a statement to Cowboy State Daily, Game and Fish spokeswoman Breanna Ball said, ‘An anonymous reporting party notified the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that an individual was alleged to be in possession of a live wolf.
‘The reporting party notified the Department on March 1, 2024. According to the investigation, the individual possessed the live wolf on 2/29/24.
‘The individual was hunting when he came across the wolf in the predator zone and intended to harvest it.
‘However, the wolf was transported alive back to his residence and later to a business in Daniel, Wyoming.
‘The individual euthanized the wolf later that day. The individual was cited for violating Chapter 10, Importation and Possession of Live Warm-Blooded Wildlife,’ the statement said.
The offense Roberts is facing carries a $250 fine.
Around 85 percent of Wyoming is a ‘predator zone’ for wolves – meaning that the wild animals can be killed at any time with no bag limit or hunting days required.
Areas of Wyoming close to nationals parks are considered a ‘trophy hunting zone’ – meaning that wolves are a ‘trophy species’ that can be hunted but only by hunters with tags during designated seasons and within predetermined quotas.
Inside Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks wolves are under full federal protection and are not allowed to be hunted.
This article by Martha Williams was first published by The Daily Mail on 3 April 2024. Lead Image: A Wyoming man was fined after he allegedly tormented a wolf by taping its mouth and parading it around his local bar before shooting it dead. (Pictured: stock photo of wolves).
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