Endangered Wolf Delisted

February 21, 2008 2:55 p.m. EST

Denver, CO (AHN) - After 13 years of intense conservation efforts the Northern Rockies gray wolf is off the endangered species list it has been on for the past 34 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the gray wolf on Thursday.

Northern Rockies gray wolves live in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and parts of Washington, Oregon and north-central Utah. The creatures were placed on the endangered list in 1974. Wolves are the largest member of the dog family and responsibility for the Northern Rockies gray wolf will now be turned over to the states where the animal lives.

The minimum recovery of 30 breeding pairs and 300 wolves for three consecutive years was reached in 2002. Since then the Northern Rockies gray wolf population has increased to more than 1,500 with at least 100 breeding pairs.

Delisting the wolves means that the states can allow hunters to kill the Northern Rockies gray wolves. Environmental groups said on Thursday that they intend to sue the federal government to return the Northern Rockies gray wolf to the endangered list.