$20,000 is now the reward money for information leading to convictions in the killing of two wolves.

Two wolves were poached in northeast Washington last month, according to Conservation Northwest, at least one of them in Stevens County. The original reward of $10,000 dollars was doubled to $20,000 by the Center for Biological Diversity and Cascadia Wildlands.

The below picture shows a female wolf from the Minam pack outside of La Grande, OR,. after it was fitted with a tracking collar, similar looking wolves were slain in Washington.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
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One of the poached wolves was found Dec. 5 roughly 15 miles south of Republic. That wolf had been radio collared by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the collar stopped transmitting data in early November. Officials say the wolf was unlawfully killed.

The other poached wolf was discovered by hunters on Nov. 12 about 10 miles southeast of Colville, Wash. in Stevens county. That wolf was a breeding female.

Because the investigation is ongoing, it was not disclosed how the wolves were killed.

The Director of the Center for Biological Diversity said, "poaching wolves or other wildlife is a deplorable crime. We need people to come forward and help put a stop to the killing of these endangered animals."

At least 115 wolves had been documented in the state at the end of 2016 with 20 established wolf packs, and all are east of the Cascades. Washington officials have killed 18 problem wolves since 2012.

The state penalty for killing a wolf is a $5,000 fine and/or a year in jail.

Under state law, wolves are listed as an endangered species and are federally protected in the western two-thirds of the state.

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