Federal authorities are seeking public input to help determine the cause of death of three endangered gray wolves in Oregon.
Grey wolves were found dead in three cases last year, the most recent in the state.
On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a $50,000 incentive for information that leads to the capture and prosecution of the wolf killers. The prize money is tenfold more than existing incentives for wolf fatality reports, according to Oregon Fish and Wildlife news releases.
One of the three dead wolves was the dominant female who reproduced, according to authorities. Gray wolves, which were endangered in the 1970s, live in packs with one male-female pair, according to the National Park Service.
Officials said two of the deceased wolves, including the female, had “mortality signal” collars on December 29. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Oregon state wildlife investigators found another dead wolf without a collar at the signal site.
The fertile female came from Oregon’s Gearhart Mountain group, the bureau said. The other two wolves were young group members.