For immediate release April 28, 2025

Media contacts: 

Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians (505) 395-6177; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project (520)623-1878; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center (914)763-2373; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Brian Nowicki, Center for Biological Diversity (505) 917-5611, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Erin Hunt, Lobos of the Southwest (928) 421-0187; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, (928) 2021325; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Government Kills Another Endangered Mexican Wolf at the Behest of the Livestock Industry

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Just days after admitting that it killed the wrong Mexican wolf in Arizona, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it also killed the breeding male of the Hail Canyon pack in New Mexico. This second “lethal removal” apparently killed the intended target: a five-year old wild born wolf (AM2764) named Viento who was the breeding male of a family of wolves that includes at least three young wolves and potentially a litter of new puppies this spring.

"The killing of Viento is, quite frankly, infuriating and counter-productive. As partners in the Mexican Wolf SAFE Program, we're trusting the federal government with the well-being of wolves that are released from our care. Viento was the adoptive father of Mexican gray wolf Slides, born at the Wolf Conservation Center in 2023 and placed into the Hail Canyon pack that year through a pup foster," said Regan Downey, the director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center. "How does the killing of his father ensure the well-being of Slides? His own survival just became that much more challenging, and begs the question - who is protecting these animals?"

"This is such a critical time of year for a wolf family - to kill the breeding male of a pack is a huge setback," said Chris Smith, wildlife program director at WildEarth Guardians. "Livestock owners grazing on public lands should be coexisting with native wildlife, not clamoring for blood."

“Between the recent killing of a pregnant female wolf and now the killing of a breeding male just before his pups are born, it’s clear that federal wildlife agencies have completely lost their way and wolves are paying the ultimate price,” said Brian Nowicki, Southwest deputy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Our public lands should be places where endangered animals can recover and thrive, not be killed left and right.” 

“Last week, on Earth Day, instead of celebrating the amazing comeback of these imperiled wolves, the federal government was out killing them,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “These removals are done to support the public lands livestock grazing industry, where a handful of ranchers get a sweetheart deal and heavy subsidies to degrade our national forests for private profit – including the destruction of keystone species who are vital to a healthy ecosystem.” 

Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife indicates that livestock losses to Mexican wolves are trending downward even as the population of wolves slowly grows. Despite empirical evidence to the contrary, however, the Catron County Board of Commissioners has recently claimed that livestock losses are increasing.

“Viento was named by a student who was inspired by the possibility of once again hearing the howl of the Mexican wolf rising above the wind in their ancestral home in the southwest,” said Erin Hunt, managing director of Lobos of the Southwest. “This student was excited by wolves running like the wind through our forests, their song rising as they call to each other. Viento’s family will never hear him call out to them again. What could we possibly say to his pack to justify this? What can we possibly say to the young people who are so invested in the return of wolves to southwestern landscapes? There are no words.”

"Viento was not a number or a nuisance — he was a sentient, social being whose life mattered,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “Killing him at the start of the denning season shatters his family and undermines the very future we claim to be protecting. True recovery demands more than counting wolves; it requires honoring their lives and fostering a landscape where they, and we, can co-thrive."

The Hail Canyon pack occurs on Gila National Forest lands near Reserve, New Mexico. 

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For immediate release: April 21, 2025

Media contacts: 

Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project (520)623-1878; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center (914)763-2373; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club - Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter, (602) 253-8633, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Nico Lorenzen, Wild Arizona (520) 289-0147, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, (505) 395-6177; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Erin Hunt, Lobos of the Southwest (928) 421-0187, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project (928) 202-1325, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Government Accidentally Kills Mother Mexican Wolf in Arizona 

PHOENIX, Ariz. –The government “mistakenly” killed the collared and presumed pregnant breeding female of the Bear Canyon Mexican gray wolf pack in Arizona last week. She was lethally killed pursuant to a removal order issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an uncollared wolf from the pack, due to ongoing livestock depredations on public land. The wolf, AF 1823, was named Asiza by schoolchildren and was seven years old.   

“It’s outrageous that our government is authorizing wolves to be killed for preying on livestock on public lands, full stop,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “But the fact that they killed a collared mother wolf ‘by accident’ is completely unacceptable. Wildlife professionals should be trained to know what they are targeting, especially when it comes to a highly imperiled species. We demand a full investigation and criminal charges for negligence if appropriate.” 

The April 4, 2025 removal order authorized Wildlife Services to kill an uncollared wolf from the Bear Canyon Pack and specifically noted that it was not their intent to “remove the breeding female … who will likely whelp a new litter of pups soon.” However, on April 14, 2025, exactly that event occurred. 

“At a time in which federal agencies’ purview and capacity to protect and conserve endangered wildlife is threatened, we in the conservation community stand behind the agencies’ mandate to protect wildlife.” said Nico Lorenzen, wildlife associate of Wild Arizona. “That said, there is a standard that these agencies must maintain in their practice, as with any profession. The mistaken killing of Asiza, wolf AF 1823, is brazen harm to a breeding female of critical importance to Mexican gray wolf recovery and should be further investigated.”

“The killing of Asiza is extremely upsetting, both for her family and for lobo supporters across the country. Her death endangers the Bear Canyon pack’s survival; research shows that killing a breeding female can destabilize the pack and increase the likelihood of future conflicts,” said Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center director of education.

“We are outraged by this irresponsible and unnecessary killing of this highly endangered wolf and especially outraged and disappointed that it was the government itself that took this action and did so related to possible livestock depredation,” said Sandy Bahr, director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter. “All Mexican wolves are precious due to their small numbers, but a breeding female is especially precious and important. This is no way to treat endangered wildlife.” 

“Wildlife Services has a history littered with cruelty and mistakes; and usually it is wildlife that suffers. In fact, this is not the first time Wildlife Services has accidentally killed a Mexican wolf,” said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “It’s clear that adequate care was not taken. Asiza never should have been killed - it’s an outrage.”

“The killing of this breeding female is tragic news for the recovery of Mexican wolves,” said Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While the agencies claim that killing this female was a mistake, they’re staying silent on the details as to how such an egregious error was made and how they’ll ensure mistakes like this won’t be repeated. We need to know why this killing occurred and how they’ll make sure it never happens again.”

“We recognize that this is an incredibly challenging time for federal workers, and thus for the wildlife and wild places they defend, but there must be a thorough investigation into this tragic mistake,” said Erin Hunt, managing director of Lobos of the Southwest. “The student who chose Asiza’s name did so because wolves are keystones of their habitat and guardians of our world. We owe it to the wolves and to current and future generations to ensure that these critical guardians roam safely and freely in the wild places where they belong. Asiza’s family deserves justice, and we all deserve the assurance that something like this will never happen again.”

“The killing of Asiza is more than a mistake; it’s a failure of ethical responsibility. Wolves are not the problem. Reactive, fear-driven policies are,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “If we want true recovery, we must move beyond coexistence and invest in relationships where both wolves and people can co-thrive.”

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For immediate release: March 31, 2025

Media contacts: 

Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project (520) 623-1878; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians (505) 395-6177, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Sally Paez, New Mexico Wild (505) 350-0664, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Nico Lorenzen, Wild Arizona (520) 289-0147, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project (928) 202-1325 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center (914) 763-2373, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Jacqueline Covey, Defenders of Wildlife (630) 427-7164, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Taylor McKinnon, Center for Biological Diversity (801) 300-2414, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Wandering Wolf “Ella” Found Deceased in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Mexican gray wolf who just last week was located north of Interstate 40 near Mount Taylor in New Mexico was found dead on Sunday, March 30, 2025. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has indicated that the cause of Ella’s death is under investigation.  She was named “Ella” by schoolchildren and her intrepid spirit was the subject of news coverage over the weekend. 

“We’re deeply saddened that her journey has come to an end, because her roaming was teaching us about where Mexican gray wolves choose to be,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “The agencies insist on keeping wolves south of Interstate 40 in Arizona and New Mexico based on the ‘historic range’ of the species, but wolves like Ella live in the present and they are showing us their species’ future is in an expanded northern range.” 

“It’s always devastating when we lose a member of this still small and imperiled population," said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. "But when we find that a young, intrepid wolf like Ella is taken, it's especially painful. Eventually, lobos will re-colonize their historic range. Until then, we will fight for their survival."

“The rugged slopes of Mount Taylor and surrounding areas host healthy herds of elk and would provide exceptional wolf habitat if humans were not intent on excluding them,” said Sally Paez, staff attorney for New Mexico Wild. In 2022, the State of New Mexico added 54,000 acres to the Marquez Wildlife Management Area, which created the largest wildlife management area in the state and vastly expanded the network of unfragmented public lands and wildlife corridors near Mount Taylor. “It is no surprise that a young wolf like Ella was drawn toward this wild landscape,” said Paez, “and we are deeply saddened by her loss.”

Mount Taylor is not only excellent lobo habitat; the area is also sacred land to Navajo, Acoma, Laguna, Hopi, Zuni, and other Indigenous peoples. The area holds about 1,000 cultural sites and has a rich cultural heritage and ceremonial importance to many people. 

“Ella’s death is a profound loss—not just for her species, but for all of us who saw in her journey a glimpse of what recovery could look like,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “She was young, instinct-driven, and full of possibility. By venturing north, she was reclaiming space that wolves once called home. Her story deserves more than mourning—it demands action to ensure other wolves have the freedom to thrive where she could not.”

"Ella's life was tragically short but deeply impactful, and we should strive to be like her as we work to create a better world for Mexican gray wolves," said Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center. "Let's be bold and unapologetic in our quest to let lobos roam beyond the arbitrary boundary of I-40. Let's be like Ella."

“Mexican wolves like Ella have shown time and again that the wildlands north of Interstate 40 are desirable wolf habitat,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Her death is a tragedy and its cause and circumstances need to be investigated and shared with the public.”

“This female wolf’s motivation to disperse north is a key instinct that we celebrated just last week as it is indication that this species is poised to recover its historic range. We are, sadly, now learning of her death and investigating the cause,” said Craig Miller, Defenders of Wildlife senior Arizona representative. “Mexican gray wolves must be allowed to roam freely to new territories and find mates to strengthen their genetics for future healthy populations.” 

“With Mexican grey wolves facing a panorama of threats including habitat degradation, genetic diversity loss, and threats to legislation that protects these imperiled wolves it is more important than ever to investigate these incidents and curb illegal mortality.” said Nico Lorenzen, conservation and wildlife associate with Wild Arizona.

There are 162 Mexican gray wolves known to be living in the wild in New Mexico, according to the latest annual census of the lobo population released by the agencies responsible for managing the species. 

Illegal mortality is the leading cause of death for Mexican gray wolves. Conservationists and agencies have offered a combined reward of more than $105,000 for information leading to the conviction of anyone who violates the Endangered Species Act and unlawfully kills a Mexican wolf. Individuals with information they believe may be helpful are urged to call one of the following agencies: USFWS special agents in Pinetop, Arizona, at (346) 254-0515 or NMDGF Operation Game Thief at (800) 432-4263. Killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of state law and the Federal Endangered Species Act and can result in criminal penalties of up to $50,000, and/or not more than one year in jail, and/or a civil penalty of up to $25,000.

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For Immediate Release March 28, 2025

Contacts:

Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, 928-202-1325 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nico Lorenzen, Wild Arizona, 520-289-0147, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Jacqueline Covey, Defenders of Wildlife, 630-427-7164, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center, 914-763-2373, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project, 520-623-1878, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Kirk Robinson, Western Wildlife Conservancy, 801-468-1535, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

ANOTHER MEXICAN GRAY WOLF HAS WANDERED NORTH, AND CONSERVATIONISTS ARE CELEBRATING HER INTREPID ROAMING

Female Mexican gray wolf 2996 is returning to suitable wolf habitat near Mount Taylor

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Female Mexican gray wolf 2996, named “Ella” by schoolchildren, has peacefully wandered north of Interstate 40 in New Mexico toward Mount Taylor, an area of pristine habitat teeming with wildlife, including large herds of elk that range from its northeastern foothills all the way to the plateau of Mount Taylor. This area almost certainly would have been home to wolves for millennia before they were wiped out by humans. In fact, she’s traveling quite close to an area known as “Lobo Canyon,” suggesting the appropriateness of this landscape for Mexican wolves. 

“Ella is not just a number—she’s a sentient being, a bold young wolf charting her own path and showing us that wolves are the true agents of their recovery. By dispersing north of I-40, she’s proving that suitable, wild habitat still exists where wolves once thrived,” said Claire Musser, the executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “Each wolf carries unique knowledge, instincts, and personality—traits essential to building strong, resilient packs. We need all of them, and they need the freedom to roam.”

“She is the third female wolf in three years to make the journey northward toward Colorado, guided by instinct outside the arbitrary boundaries of the Experimental Population Area, and we would do well to trust that instinct,” said Craig Miller, Defenders of Wildlife senior Arizona representative. “She is a remarkable testament to her ancestors that once roamed from Canada to Mexico, we hope her offspring can  roam again one day.”

“Twenty-seven  years ago this week, the wilds of the southwest were once again greeted with the howls of Mexican gray wolves. How exciting that as we honor this anniversary, we’re also celebrating another milestone  – yet another courageous wolf is proving that wolves belong north of I-40,” said Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center. 

In a move applauded by conservationists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has indicated there are no plans to capture her at this time. 

“This brave loba, and every wild wolf, is essential to the success of the recovery effort,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “We are glad that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking a ‘hands off’ approach to Ella. Long may she run!” 

“True recovery of the endangered Mexican wolf will require allowing them to expand their range,” said Kirk Robinson, executive director of Western Wildlife Conservancy. “Insisting on an artificial boundary that wolves must not cross makes no sense.”

“Mexican gray wolves consistently cross Interstate 40 only to be dragged back within an illusory management delineation. Lobos will orient themselves toward habitat that best matches what they need. With the vast majority of our landscapes bereft of large carnivores who are critical for ecosystem resilience we must ask ourselves, is an interstate the best way to determine where wolves should live or do the wolves have a better nose for such things? Ella clearly has her own answer and we’d be wise to let her roam.” Nico Lorenzen, Conservation and Wildlife Associate with Wild Arizona.

Mount Taylor is not only excellent lobo habitat; the area is also sacred land to Navajo, Acoma, Laguna, Hopi, Zuni, and other Indigenous peoples. The area holds about 1000 cultural sites and has a rich cultural heritage and ceremonial importance to many people. 

Background on Mexican Gray Wolves:

The lobo, or Mexican gray wolf, is the smallest, most genetically distinct, and one of the rarest subspecies of the gray wolf. These native southwestern wolves were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1976 after being eradicated in the wild. Reintroduction efforts began in 1998, but conservation efforts have suffered without the implementation of recommended recovery actions. 

For years, scientists have recommended to the Service that there be three subpopulations of at least 200 wolves each (with a minimum of 750 total), spread throughout the southwestern United States, including areas like the Grand Canyon Ecoregion and the Southern Rockies (Carroll et al. 2006; Wayne and Hedrick 2011; Carroll et al. 2014; Hendricks, et al. 2016). Scientists warn that this metapopulation structure and geographic distribution are imperative to the recovery of Mexican wolves. Unfortunately, we are still far short of this scientific recommendation.

Learn more at www.mexicanwolves.org.

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For Immediate Release March 3, 2025

Contacts:

Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, 505–395-6177, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, 928-202-1325 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Michael Robinson, Center for Biological Diversity, 575-313-7017, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project, 520-623-1878, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center, 914-763-2373, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

MEXICAN GRAY WOLF NUMBERS ARE UP, BUT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BUDGET CUTS COULD THREATEN RECOVERY  

Mexican gray wolf population count increases, but lobos are still threatened by low gene diversity and high illegal killing 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The Arizona Game and Fish Department and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish released the results of the annual wild Mexican gray wolf population count today, revealing that the number of wolves in the wild at the end of January 2025 in Arizona and New Mexico increased to a minimum of 286 wolves. While population growth is positive, the wild population’s genetic crisis becomes harder to fix as the population expands. Conservation groups point to the lack of genetic diversity as a long-term threat to the species, while recognizing lobos are more immediately threatened by potential budget cuts to the program.  

“The slow growth of this critical and singular wild lobo population is a testament to the species' resiliency and their place on the landscape where they have roamed for thousands of years,” said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “But the reality is that illegal killings, genetic crisis, and a lack of room to roam are impairing true recovery. As the federal administration abandons the environment, wildlife, and conservation, states need to step up.”

“More Mexican wolves means more opportunities for hikers and campers to see these beautiful animals, but the Fish and Wildlife Service has to act quickly to protect them from a dwindling gene pool,” said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If genetic diversity isn’t truly increased it could mean that our descendants might never see any of these exquisite wolves. Such a tragedy is entirely preventable with science-based reforms.”

“Wolves like Hope (F2979) have shown us that Mexican gray wolves are capable of finding and thriving in suitable habitat beyond the artificial I-40 boundary,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “The Grand Canyon ecoregion and the southern Rockies offer the space, prey, and ecological connectivity necessary for true recovery. If we continue to confine wolves to politically drawn lines, we are not following science—we are failing the species. Wolves must be allowed to disperse naturally to ensure a genetically viable and self-sustaining population.”

“We’re concerned that Mexican gray wolf recovery will be defunded by people in the Trump administration who don’t care about the non-monetary values of wild things and wild places,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “We don’t always agree with how Mexican wolves are managed, but we know that without the continued federal engagement and the strong protections of the Endangered Species Act, we wouldn’t have this many lobos alive and in the wild.”

“We’re heartened by the continued growth of the wild Mexican gray wolf population and take pride in knowing that Slides, a Mexican wolf born at the Wolf Conservation Center (NY) and fostered into a wild family, is contributing to the growth of his endangered species,” said Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center. “We hope that with our collective efforts, and the science-based leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all Mexican wolves will thrive wherever they choose to roam.”

Background on Mexican Gray Wolves:

The lobo, or Mexican gray wolf, is the smallest, most genetically distinct, and one of the rarest subspecies of the gray wolf. These native southwestern wolves were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1976 after being eradicated in the wild. Reintroduction efforts began in 1998, but conservation efforts have suffered without the implementation of recommended recovery actions. 

For years, scientists have recommended to the Service that there be three subpopulations of at least 200 wolves each (with a minimum of 750 total), spread throughout the southwestern United States, including areas like the Grand Canyon Ecoregion and the Southern Rockies (Carroll et al. 2006; Wayne and Hedrick 2011; Carroll et al. 2014; Hendricks, et al. 2016). Scientists warn that this metapopulation structure and geographic distribution are imperative to the recovery of Mexican wolves. Unfortunately, we are still far short of this scientific recommendation.

Learn more at www.mexicanwolves.org.

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