Washington State 2025 Wolf Count Increases, Depredations Decrease mdewane April 17, 2026 Olympia, WA April 17, 2026 The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today released the state’s 2025 minimum count for gray wolves at 270 individuals, a 17% increase from 2024. While wolves have continued to expand in the state in recent years, they have yet to achieve the recovery goals outlined in Washington’s 2011 Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. Illegal killing remains a significant factor hindering their progress. The state also documented a decrease in wolf-livestock depredation reports, down from 54 in 2024 to 17 in 2025. “In Washington, the year-after-year gray wolf population increase demonstrates that we are on our way to full recovery,” said Kristin Botzet, Northwest program representative at Defenders of Wildlife. “As wolves continue to expand throughout their historical range across our landscape, it’s critical that we continue to invest in programs that reduce conflict.…