A federal judge in California says wolves in many parts of the country should immediately be returned to the endangered species list. The judge's ruling reverses a Trump-era rule that removed Endangered Species Act protection for wolves across most of the U.S.
It would end hunting of wolves in some states. The ruling does not apply to wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, which lost protections before the delisting of wolves elsewhere.
The Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan are mostly affected by the ruling. Some west coast states plus Arizona and New Mexico are also included.
However, last September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it is looking into renewing protection for northern Rockies wolves because of new laws in Montana and Idaho that allow many more wolves to be killed by hunters.
The Fish and Wildlife Service says a decision is likely in September of this year.
