predators

Cody Roberts ran down a wolf with a snowmobile and brought it into a bar in Feb. 2024. This was the first time Roberts has publicly appeared and talked on the issue.

As predators like grizzly bears and gray wolves expand their ranges or are being recovered to more habitats, wildlife managers in the Mountain West are increasingly tasked with preventing conflicts between the animals and people. Some are turning to new strategies and technologies, including drones.

Cody Roberts was charged with felony animal cruelty 18 months after the incident. What comes next will likely unravel over the fall.

Global outrage ensued after a Wyoming man ran down a wolf with a snowmobile and brought the live animal into a bar for hours in Feb. 2024. For 18 months no criminal charges were made, until now.

A controversial legal tool rarely used in the state system will determine if Cody Roberts is charged with a felony for alleged wolf torture.

It's been a year since a rural ranching community in Sublette County was cast into the international spotlight because of outrage over what many deemed "torture" of a wolf. The legalities and culture around the incident are still hot button issues.

It’s been almost a year since a Sublette County man ran down a wolf with a snowmobile and brought the live animal into a bar, sparking global outrage. One bill recently failed that would’ve banned the act of running a predator over with a vehicle on public land – something many wildlife advocates have called for.

Wyoming lawmakers officially advanced a bill that attempts to prevent a repeat of the inhumane treatment of a wolf in Sublette County earlier this year. But they didn’t choose to outlaw what many consider a key part of the incident: running a wolf over with a snowmobile.

After a Sublette County man allegedly tortured a wolf, a state-appointed working group was formed to examine Wyoming’s predator policies. They met for the first time and began to craft language in hopes of preventing similar incidents.

In a canyon near Rock Springs, a helicopter descends, and two coyotes are handed out, bound and blindfolded. University of Wyoming researchers place them…