Upset animal lovers descend on Wyoming over wild wolf torture video - claiming ... trends now
Animal rights activists have expressed their disgust at the light punishment a Wyoming man received for killed a wolf after parading it around a bar.
The activists from state across the U.S. appeared at the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to share their feelings about the video showing the wolf being tortured before it was killed.
One of the activists, Lorraine Finazzo, said on Wednesday that the video of the wolf had left her unable to sleep
Finazzo, who according to Cowboy State Daily had travelled from South Carolina for the meeting, told the commission: 'Those pictures, I couldn't sleep.'
Roberts, from Daniel, Wyoming, had captured an injured wolf after hitting it with his snowmobile and paraded it around a bar before he killed it.
Roberts, 42, captured an injured wolf after hitting it with his snowmobile and paraded it around a local bar before killing it. He's pictured with the animal
Finazzo was allowed two minutes to address the commission along with dozens of others who spoke during the two-hour public comment session.
During her testimony, she said that her family had frequently visited Wyoming, but might not return to the state unless it changes it policies towards wolves.
She added: ' The incident [with the wolf] in Wyoming has given me nightmares.
'Unless there are changes in these laws, we cannot continue to support Wyoming tourism. The laws much change, the world is watching.'
Wyoming native and hunter Jim Laybour told the outlet that the images of the wolf had also affected him.
He said: 'I can’t get those pictures out of my head', adding that he wouldn't 'give another dime' to the state until they changed wildlife management laws.
During his testimony he told commissioners: 'Wyoming hunters will forever be associated with the likes of the wolf torturer in Daniel, and I refuse to be associated with that.'
The outlet reported that many others criticized the practice of hunting animals with snowmobiles or other vehicles.
University of Wyoming professor Donal O'Toole told the meeting he was horrified to hear about the practice via a work colleague.
He said: 'He told me about chasing coyotes with a snowmobile and running them over. I think we have a cultural problem.'
Video released on Wednesday by Wyoming Game and Fish Department shows the clearly injured animal lying in the corner of the bar while patrons discuss its fate
During the meeting with the commission on Wednesday, one audience member said the images of the wolf left her unable to sleep
Montana resident Dave Stalling, who represents Hunters and Anglers for Wildlife Management Reform, said there is a widespread 'hated of wolves' among hunters.
He told the meeting: 'It’s an irrational hatred of wolves. They talk about ‘shoot, shovel and shut up.’
'The way we manage wolves isn’t based on science.
