Angry People Travel From All Over Country To Voice Outrage Over Tortured Wolf

RIVERTON — Lorraine Finazzo initially thought about using Zoom from her home in South Carolina to tell the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission her feelings about the story that’s gone global of a wolf that was captured, abused and killed in Daniel, Wyoming.

But she decided that wouldn’t be good enough.

So, Finazzo traveled to Wyoming so she could speak in person in Riverton on Wednesday during a two-hour public comment session at the commission’s meeting.

Photos and videos of the wolf’s suffering prompted Finazzo and her husband to catch a flight to Denver, meet their daughter there and then drive to the meeting, she told Cowboy State Daily.

“Those pictures — I couldn’t sleep,” she said of photos showing the young wolf, one with its muzzle tightly taped shut, before it was killed.

Like many others who came in person or testified via Zoom, Finazzo was allowed 2 minutes to address the commission.

During her testimony, she said her family frequently visits Wyoming, but might not return unless the state changes its policies toward wolves.

“The incident (with the wolf) in Wyoming has given me nightmares,” she told the commission. “Unless there are changes in these laws, we cannot continue to support Wyoming tourism. The laws much change, the world is watching.”

‘Dozens And Dozens Of Conversations’

The commissioners and Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik listened patiently as one person after another spoke passionately about the Feb. 29 incident in Sublette County that so far has resulted in only a $250 for the alleged perpetrator, Cody Roberts, 42, of Daniel.

The commission took no action on the matter, and many of the reforms people called for would require action by the Wyoming Legislature.

After the comment session wrapped up, Nesvik remarked that he’d had “dozens and dozens” of conversations about the incident with people all over the state.

He added that he will continue discussions with Gov. Mark Gordon, members of the Wyoming Legislature and others about any possible next steps to address the incident.

Will Stop Hunting Because Of It

Wyoming native and seasoned hunter Jim Laybourn told Cowboy State Daily that images of the tormented wolf also deeply affected him.

“I can’t get those pictures out of my head,” he said.

During his testimony, Laybourn said he can’t “give another dime to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department” until there is reform in the state’s wildlife management laws, such as banning the practice of running predatory animals down with snowmobiles.

“Wyoming hunters will forever be associated with the likes of the wolf torturer in Daniel, and I refuse to be associated with that,” he told Nesvik and the commissioners.

He later reiterated his intent to stop buying hunting tags to Cowboy State Daily.

“I can’t,” he said. “I hope they do something soon, because I’m a real carnivore.”

According to accounts of events on Feb. 29, Roberts ran the wolf down with a snowmobile, captured it and then took it to his residence. He later allegedly took it to the Green River Bar in Daniel and showed it off, before taking it behind the bar and killing it.

Short video clips released by Game and Fish show the wolf languishing on the floor of the bar. Roberts is allegedly the man shown in another short clip obtained by Cowboy State Daily, lifting the animal’s head to kiss it while it defensively bares its teeth.

No More Use Of Vehicles?

Many others who testified criticized the practice of using snowmobiles or other vehicles to run down wildlife classified as predatory animals, such as wolves and coyotes.

University of Wyoming professor Donal O’Toole said he was shocked when a colleague told him about the practice.

“He told me about chasing coyotes with a snowmobile and running them over. I think we have a cultural problem,” he said.

Montana resident Dave Stalling, representing Hunters and Anglers for Wildlife Management Reform, said that while many hunters have condemned Roberts’ alleged actions as unethical, there is still a widespread “culture of hatred of wolves” among hunters.

“It’s an irrational hatred of wolves,” Stalling said. “They talk about ‘shoot, shovel and shut up.’ The way we manage wolves isn’t based on science. It’s based on fear, lies, misconception and hate.”

Mike Blissett of Cody, who owns Blissett Nature Photography, said he’s concerned about how worldwide outrage over the wolf’s abuse and death will affect his and other tourism-related small businesses.

“I sell more grizzly and wolf photographs than all other photographs combined,” he told the commission.

Others noted that the incident could ruin Wyoming’s reputation as a leader in wildlife management, and possibly even hamper current efforts to delist grizzly bears from federal protection in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

Pets Threatened

As the meeting closed, Nesvik said he appreciates how well the comment session had gone and how polite people were, despite the emotions involved.

That always hasn’t been the case since news of the incident in Daniel broke and went viral, Nesvik said. He said Game and Fish staff had been fielding constant calls and messages, some of them degrading and threatening.

“I have had my staff called names I will not repeat here. I have had people call and threaten my staff’s pets,” he said.

Commission President Richard Ladwig said he understood the outrage over what happened to the wolf, but added that he doesn’t understand why the April 7 stabbing death of 14-year-old Bobby Maher in Casper hasn’t generated similar outrage.

"I can’t believe there wasn’t more of an uproar over the 14-year-old who was stabbed to death in front of the Casper mall by other teenagers,” he said.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.