Montana judge lifts restraining order limiting wolf hunting

A wolf from the Wapiti Lake pack is silhouetted by a nearby hot spring in Yellowstone National Park (National Park Service via AP, File)

A US judge has lifted a temporary restraining order that limited wolf hunting and trapping in the state of Montana, saying there is nothing to suggest rules now in place will make wolf populations unsustainable in the short term.

District judge Christopher Abbott also rejected concerns raised by environmental groups that harvesting up to six wolves just outside Yellowstone National Park this season could harm the park’s wolf population and conservation efforts.