The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany that, if approved by the Senate, would remove the state’s rapidly expanding and aggressive gray wolf population from the endangered species list and open the door for state management.

The bill passed 211-204, with five Democrats voting with the majority.

Gray wolves are increasingly prevalent and threatening.

At the turn of the century, there were roughly 300 gray wolves in the Badger State. The number surged past 1,100 before a three-day hunt in February 2021 that culled 218 of them. Gray wolves were taken off the endangered species list — that is, “delisted” — immediately before the hunt, but then relisted by a federal court ruling in February 2022.

Since then, the population has grown to an estimated 1,226, according to a Department of Natural Resources monitoring report.

Read the full report HERE