Video corroborates key aspects of Wyoming wolf abuse allegations

Video evidence released Wednesday by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as part of an investigation into a Daniel man who admitted to possessing a live wolf shows the muzzled, listless animal lying on the floor of what appears to be a bar.

In two short clips, a gray-coated wolf with what appears to be a commercial tracking and shock collar lies prone on a wooden floor with chatter in the background. The animal is barely moving, but clearly alive.

“He’s getting ready to get up again,” a man off camera says at one point.

A person can be seen standing near the animal, though it’s unclear who was speaking at the time. 

State wildlife managers released the two short video clips and a partly redacted one-page law enforcement incident report to WyoFile in response to records request following accusations that Daniel resident Cody Roberts ran a wolf over with a snowmobile then took it to his home and the Green River Bar before killing the animal. 

The case has received global attention and outrage. While records show Roberts was cited for illegal possession of wildlife, the video evidence offers the first official corroboration of accusations he muzzled the wolf and brought it to a public space. 

The report, prepared by game warden Adam Hymas, names Roberts as the man who was illegally in possession of the wolf.

“On 3/4/24 ROBERTS agreed to meet with warden Haley and myself in Pinedale, which he did with a lawyer present,” the document states. “The violation for possession of a live wolf was explained to ROBERTS at that time.”

Roberts, according to the report, admitted to possessing the wolf on Feb. 29 in Daniel, a small community in the Green River Basin of northwestern Wyoming. The wolf was taken both to his house and an undisclosed business, the document states. 

Roberts paid a $250 fine. 

The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday it was launching its own investigation into Roberts’ actions. 

Roberts has not publicly discussed the case or the allegations surrounding it. He declined to speak with Emily Cohen, the reporter for community radio station KHOL, who first broke the story, and could not be located when a WyoFile reporter tried to interview him at his home. 

According to allegations published by the Cowboy State Daily, Roberts acquired the wolf by running it over with a snowmobile. After being brought home and then into the Green River Bar, it was reportedly shot and killed behind the small town drinking hole.

A widely circulated photo that emerged last weekend shows a wolf with red tape tightly bound around its snout, but in the footage released by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department the collared wolf is wearing a commercial dog muzzle.

Over the past 10 days the tortured wolf has generated global condemnation, leading to thousands of calls to Sublette County law enforcement officers and threats of violence, according to county officials. 

Animal welfare advocates who also received the footage through their own records request on Wednesday say they’re seeking additional footage and photographs of the Feb. 29 incident. 

“We know there are more videos that show the horror of that evening. We are raising the reward to $5,000 for that video,” Wyoming Wildlife Advocates Executive Director Kristin Combs said. “We will ensure anonymity.”