Mexican Wolf

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The Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the rarest, most genetically distinct subspecies of the Gray Wolf in North America. It is also one of the smallest subspecies, reaching an overall length no greater than 135 cm whose maximum height is about 80 cm. Weight ranges from 27-45 kg.

History

''See also: Gray Wolf Historical Perceptions

Until recent times, the Mexican Wolf ranged the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona. By the turn of the century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many wolves to begin attacking domestic livestock, which led to intensive efforts by government agencies and individuals to eradicate the Mexican Wolf. Hunters also hunted down the wolf because it killed deer. Trappers and private trappers were also help to the eradication of the Mexican Wolf.

These efforts were very successful, and by the 1950s, the Mexican Wolf had been eliminated from the wild. In 1976, the Mexican Wolf was declared an endangered species and has remained so ever since. Today, an estimated 15 or less Mexican Wolves now survive in the wild.

Reintroduction To The Southwest

''See also: Mexican Wolf Arizona Reintroduction

In March 1997, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior authorized the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to begin reintroducing Mexican Wolves into the Blue Range area of Arizona. The overall objective of this program was to reestablish 100 Mexican Wolves in the Apache and Gila National Forests of Arizona and New Mexico by 2005.

On March 30, 1998, government biologists released 11 gray wolves -- 3 adult males, 3 adult females, 3 female pups and yearlings and 2 male pups -- from 3 chain-link acclimation pens within the 7,000-square-mile, federally designated Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in east-central Arizona.

External links

[Mexican Wolf] The Living Desert - A zoo and nature preserve that coordinates Mexican Wolf reintroduction efforts

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