'Cruelty is punishable': Activists demand stiffer penalty for hunter after wolf’s brutal death

In Wyoming, a 42-year-old hunter, Cody Roberts, is drawing vehement criticism for the way in which he reportedly killed a gray wolf.

Roberts, according to The Guardian, was "fined a couple of hundred dollars for illegally possessing the wolf while it was still alive." But The Guardian's Ramon Antonio Vargas is reporting that some Wyoming residents believe Roberts should face felony charges and a more severe punishment in light of how the animal died.

Vargas, in an article published on April 10, notes that Roberts "reportedly ran over a gray wolf with a snowmobile, taped the creature's mouth shut, took a picture with it inside a local bar and then shot it to death behind the tavern."

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Although hunting wolves is legal in Wyoming, Vargas reports that Roberts' critics have "accused" him of "flagrantly and cruelly violating hunting ethics."

Vargas explains, "Wyoming wildlife authorities have kept much of the case hidden under a veil of secrecy, arguing that records on wolves taken in the state are not (a) matter of public record under laws there. But the news outlet WyoFile.com reported that the laws only protect the privacy of people 'legally taking a wolf' within the state and therefore may not apply in the case of Roberts."

Dan Ashe, president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, told WyoFile that "every state should be reviewing their statutes to make sure that this kind of cruelty is punishable."

As of Tuesday, April 9, Vargas reports, more than 55,000 people had signed a Change.org petition calling for Roberts to face felony charges.

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According to Cowboy State Daily, other men who are named Cody Roberts but have no connection to the hunter have been receiving death threats.

One of them told Cowboy State Daily, "It's gotten quite out of hand. They're definitely wishing harm on us. I've had it come from everywhere, from Vegas to New York to Canada."

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Read The Guardian's full report at this link.