Conservationists ask court to stop Ore. wolf kill

By JEFF BARNARD, AP Environmental Writer Published: Oct 5, 2011 at 12:47 PM PDT Last Updated: Oct 5, 2011 at 2:04 PM PDT
Conservationists ask court to stop Ore. wolf kill
This trail camera photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shows two wolves from the Imnaha pack on June 22, 2011 on the Wallowa Whitman National Forest in Wallowa County. The wolf on the left is a 2-year-old male, and the wolf in the center is the alpha female. A state wildlife official said Monday that the pack may not survive an order to kill two of its members for attacks on livestock, but the restoration of wolves in Oregon in general is progressing. (AP Photo/Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)

UNDATED - Conservation groups are seeking a court order to stop the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from shooting two of the state's 14 wolves for killing livestock.

They asked the Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday for a stay of the department's kill order while the court reviews whether Oregon's wolf management plan complies with the state Endangered Species Act.

The department issued the kill order two weeks ago after satellite tracking information confirmed that the leader of the Imnaha wolf pack had been present when wolves killed a calf in Northeastern Oregon.

Steve Pedery of Oregon Wild says the groups are also asking Gov. John Kitzhaber to halt the hunt.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.