The Mexican wolf is the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Once common throughout portions of the southwestern United States,
the Mexican wolf was all but eliminated from the wild by the 1970s. In 1977, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve
the species. In 1998, Mexican wolves were released to the wild for the first time in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area within the Mexican Wolf
Experimental Population Area. Missing from the landscape for more than 30 years, the howl of the Mexican wolf can once again be heard in the
mountains of the southwestern United States.
Photo Courtesy of the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team
2016 Denning Packs and wolf pups
July 2016
This summer, members of the IFT have documented denning behavior in at least 11 Mexican wolf packs in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Area.
As of mid-July, a minimum of 42 pups in 9 packs (Bluestem, Elk Horn, Hoodoo, Iron Creek, Luna, Panther Creek, Prieto, SBP, and
Tsay O Ah) have been documented. Six of the 42 pups in the count are a result of cross foster events. Throughout the summer and
into the fall, the IFT will continue to monitor and document wolf pup numbers. As the pups get older, the IFT will attempt to
capture pups, administer vaccines, and affix pup size radio collars to monitor survival.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with
others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
All images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unless specified otherwise.