Dear Guardian, 

The numbers are in, and the news is not good: just 97 critically endangered Mexican wolves roamed the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona at the end of 2015, down from last year’s historic high of 109.

More than ever it’s clear that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must release more wolves into the wild to ensure lobos stay on the path to recovery.

Among our nation’s most endangered animals, the lobo’s downturn is the result of increased mortality, including several poaching incidents, decreased pup survival, and not enough releases of captive bred wolves in 2015. At least 13 lobos were killed last year, and only 55% of pups born in the wild survived to December. The decrease is especially alarming because of the genetic emergency lobos currently face. More wolves in the wild are desperately needed to increase genetic diversity and enhance fitness and survivability across the wild population.

The Service must act now to save this beautiful species by releasing captive bred Mexican wolves into the wild today. New Mexico and Arizona state officials are trying to stop releases, at the urging of anti-carnivore interests who rely on unfounded myths and fears.

Join us in telling the Service to focus more on wolves and less on politics.

For the wild,

 

Bethany Cotton
Wildlife Program Director
WildEarth Guardians
bcotton@wildearthguardians.org

 

 

photo credit: Mexican wolf Interagency Field Team