USA: Law Against Wildlife Killing with Snowmobiles
This law aims to prevent the misuse of motor vehicles, in particular the intentional harming of wildlife such as wolves and coyotes.
Congresswoman Nancy Mace has taken an important step toward protecting wildlife in America with the introduction of the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act (SAW Act).
In April 2024, the disturbing story of Cody Roberts in Wyoming became public: he ran over a female wolf with his snowmobile, captured her, bound her muzzle shut, and displayed her in a bar where he tormented the injured animal before shooting her. The shocking incident sparked outrage among animal lovers worldwide.
The incident took place at the Green River Bar in Sublette County, Wyoming, where killing wolves is legal. However, by prolonging the wolf’s suffering and allegedly tormenting the animal, Roberts violated hunting ethics. Shockingly, he was fined just 250 dollars.
“Running over wolves with snowmobiles is a cruel and unacceptable form of torture and abuse of wildlife,” said Leslie Williams and Samantha Attwood, founding members of the RelistWolves Campaign.
“Wyoming’s predator management task force — established specifically to address this problem — has acted too timidly and, frankly, ineffectively. We must ensure that what Cody Roberts did in Wyoming can never happen again.»
The SAW Act contains several important provisions to address these issues. It explicitly prohibits the intentional use of motor vehicles to hunt, run over, or kill wildlife. To ensure compliance with the law, the bill authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to lead investigations into violations and to cooperate with federal, state, and local authorities to maintain protections.
Violations of the law would be subject to fines of up to $5’000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both. This strong deterrent underscores the seriousness of the law and its commitment to upholding the integrity and protection of wildlife.
“It is sad that a law like this needs to be introduced at all – the killing of wolves, regardless of the method, but especially through pursuit with motorized vehicles, should not be the norm. We live in a country with increasingly compassionate and ethically minded people; perhaps compassionate and ethical laws are the way forward until the rest of the nation catches up,” said Regan Downey, Director of Education at the Wolf Conservation Center.
Supporting the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act is crucial for protecting wildlife and ensuring that no other animal suffers the same fate as the young wolf who was heartlessly killed by Cody Roberts. By advocating for this law, we can help create a safer environment for animals and preserve the integrity of our natural ecosystems.
