Federal wildlife officials said on Monday that a Colorado hunter who shot and killed a protected gray wolf that he mistook for a coyote will not face criminal charges, in a decision that angered conservationists. Prosecutors declined to press charges against the hunter for the April killing after a joint investigation conducted by federal and state authorities concluded that he did not intend to shoot the wolf, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement. It is illegal to kill wolves without a special permit in most of the Lower 48 states, where the animals are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
No charges for Colorado hunter who mistakenly killed gray wolf
