Wolf attack bill to be amended

Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, won unanimous support from the House Resources Committee today to amend his bill regarding liability for attacks on humans by wolves or other dangerous animals. “What the bill attempts to do is to create a criminal and a civil liability if somebody is killed or injured by a wolf or suffers economic damage,” Hart said, quickly correcting himself, “it’s any dangerous animal - I don’t even think the word ‘wolf’ is in there any more.” His measure drew nearly 20 people to the committee hearing to testify, some of whom said they’d driven for hours to get there. One showed the panel a DVD of scenes of various bloody deer carcasses, set to music. Hart told the committee, “If I as a private citizen were to somehow go to Africa and get a lion and release it in Idaho, I could be charged under this bill.”