Media Spin

Proximity is the problem. Mexican wolf encounters with children impacted on the rise.

January 30, 2012
By admin

With the onset of the 2012 breeding season sightings, close encounters and home encounters have created a difficult situation for managers of the Mexican wolf program and they are not getting much slack from local governments and citizens.

In December the program issued it’s first lethal control order after a female wolf with a long track record of livestock depredations and human habitation was found circling a private home at regular intervals where small children were exposed to her close presence. The same wolf had birthed a litter of hybrid pups the prior spring and FWS are still on the lookout for the one Mexican wolf hybrid that got away. They haven’t found it presumably it will add to the genetic mix that is the rare Mexican wolf. The remarkable thing about this control action is the fact that despite dozens of human safety encounters since the beginning of the program many of which involved their attraction to children, this was the first time the agency admitted lethal control was warranted for human safety reasons.

The encounters with wolves did not end after AF 1105 was removed from the picture. Despite the claims from radical environmental organizations that the wolf was merely lonely and only needed to find a male. They also claimed that there weren’t enough male wolves in the wild for her to mate with, The next three encounters at homes and highways were with male wolves looking for a mate in the same region as AF 1105.

The photo’s in the attached gallery show these animals are clearly in the vicinity of people and they are also in the area where pairing with AF 1105 was possible and feasible. Instead, they appear more interested in easy prey or a handout at a home than pairing with a female that was making herself readily available for another breeding with a ranch dog. It makes a reasonable person wonder what these big males are breeding with since they showed little interest in AF 1105 possibly coyotes it is possible as the canine DNA is nearly identical subject to family markers.

The photo’s on the highway of the large male wolf occurred when the same young mother in the AF 1105 home invasion incident stopped alongside the road to allow her 4 year old some fresh air after she was carsick. The 2 year old child still strapped in the car seat became impatient and began crying and this animal stepped out of the woods and approached the woman and her children. She was able to put the sick child back in the car and get herself in the car with about 20 feet between herself and this enormous animal. But the fact is, this wolf was intent on stalking her, and her children were calling it into the scene with their normal if distressed behavior.

These are her words. Words that will be torn apart by extremist activists who do not live among and often have never even seen these animals outside of a zoo.

Crystal’s Wolf Encounter
Saturday January 28, 2012
I was traveling east on Hwy 59 with my 2 young daughters in the car when my oldest, who frequently gets carsick, demanded a quick roadside stop. I pulled over just east of Poverty Creek and removed her from the vehicle. We walked around for several minutes so Cayden could get some fresh air after being sick on the shoulder of the road. The drivers door and back door were wide open. My 2 year old daughter, Reece, remained in the car crying hysterically to be removed from her car seat. After about a 5-6 minute stop, I loaded Cayden back in the car. I then walked around the back of the vehicle & towards my door when I saw a wolf standing in the middle of the road within 20 feet of my open car door. I ran to jump in my car & shut the door. The wolf, who had been standing still then walked up to the drivers side of my vehicle and stood a moment. Reece was still crying loudly. Using the camera feature on my phone I was able to capture several photos of the fearless behavior of this uncollared wolf. He’d pace in front of my vehicle from one side to the other, again and again. After watching each other for about 6-7 long minutes, the wolf seemed to tire of us and began to trot off to the south. As soon as I’d put the car in gear & move forward a few feet- it would quickly stop & curiously trot back to the car (the 2nd time he walked off, noticed movement, then returns to the road was captured on video recording). The standoff had now lasted roughly 12-15 minutes. Needing to get on my way, I slowly drove off. Leaving him sitting on the roadside shoulder, exactly where my 3 year old daughter had been sick just minutes before. This is the 2nd time in just over one month that a wolf has come within feet of my children.

Crystal Runyan Diamond
Beaverhead Ranch

Crystal Diamond has suffered an unbelievable amount of slander in the local news media simply because she is in proximity of the expanding Mexican wolf population. The activists who have repeatedly attempted to destroy her credibility and reputation have deliberately avoided the factual reports on the situation that are available to them. Instead they choose to blame and attack a mom over the death of a problem habituated aggressive wolf.

The message is that this wolf was special, this wolf was presumably more special than Crystal’s small children and their safety and their freedom to exercise their rights on their own land at at their own home.

This wolf is not special. Genetically this wolf was redundant to the population of Mexican wolves, which include over 400 in captivity. Only genetically redundant wolves are legally allowed to be used in the releases on federal lands in AZ and NM dozens exactly like her exist in captivity ready to enhance the breeding pool.

It is disturbing that we are now seeing a trend from government agency personnel working within the program to promote the extremist notion that wolves on the ground are genetically special and cannot be removed or controlled. This is contrary to all scientific and policy documents and is merely evidence that not only are there close ties to the most extreme environmental advocates for wolves in the southwest. But Fish and Wildlife Service also appear to be coordinating media and strategy with those same organizations.

The behavior of the wolf population the Federal agencies in charge of it, as well as the radical wolf advocates is such that local governments in counties that contain wolves are examining their options to protect human safety in events such as those that occurred at Beaverhead and along Highway 59 and other nearby rural homes and communities. Human health and safety is something that the agencies themselves are supposed to uphold over any policy that they have concerning wolf increase but with the large number of incidents involving children in the area the counties feel they must be ready to step in and do the job the federal government is somewhat lackadaisical about doing. We don’t know what will happen if Catron county kills a wolf in a constituents yard but the majority of the small population in the county are supportive, desperately so, of the idea. It is also important to note that Crystal Diamond is certainly not the only mother in tri-county Grant, Sierra, Catron area that has had serious encounters with wolves and is forced to deal with them on a regular basis. In 2007 Mary Miller and her husband Mark were forced to witness their 8 year old running from a wolf attack on a family dog attack that occurred immediately adjacent to the child. In 2005 Carlie Gatlin was forced to walk home from a wreaked vehicle with two small children and a concussion and was followed by Luna pack their tracks overlapped hers in the snow. Her son was bleeding from a head injury her daughter was small enough to be carried. These are far from all the incidents recorded. Deliberate habituation of Mexican wolves by agency managers has ruined many of the wolves for wild behavior, making them extremely dangerous.

Megan Richardson who lives with the habituated livestock killing middle fork pack coming into her home at regular intervals has to wonder if the sounds her small baby son makes, draws them even closer. The wolves can seen in the Game camera photo’s coming into her driveway, she puts it bluntly. “Is it going to take someone getting seriously hurt before something is done?”

4 out of 5 Mexican wolves released in Sonora Mexico are Dead.

January 23, 2012
By admin

I translated this with Google translate so it isn’t the best version. Original link.

Mourning national conservation
Bastien Hole Marielena | Opinion
18.01.2012 | Creation Time: 1:57:07 | Last Modified: 1:58:16

I write these lines still dry mouth, sensitive and irreversible after the events to which I refer Wednesday and that first I could not believe. Hence, retain the information so far. And I find it inexplicable that raised far from the huge scandal that correspond to one of the most serious environmental crimes that have suffered recently, the facts have been hidden, as is the case of the killing, by running over one and poisoning other 3 copies of the 5 family of Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) that were recently released into Sonora territory. Of course that is already a criminal complaint filed with the Specialized Unit for Investigation of Crimes against the Environment and planned Special Laws of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), and that the preliminary investigation is including timely follow-up, however, is to draw attention, once again, that the event is being handled at such a low profile, and both from the environmental authorities (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources-National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, Wildlife Department) as Naturalia, A. C., the civic organization that promoted, and that gives me the impression that while once and it had to be, also precipitated the reintroduction of the specimens to the wild, in an effort to cap a great first effort returning them to their habitat , even a small part of the wider region that historically belonged to, being as they are, a species extinct in the wild, as only small groups are in captivity, both in the United States and here in our country, not being in total over 400 individuals with the stakes are the survival of the smallest subspecies of gray wolf that tried to eradicate the middle of last century, everything, because the wolf has always been the villain of the story.

I worry that in the little information I could RECAVA unofficially, no man assures me it has been carried out the rescue of the alpha female, now alone at the mercy of the infamous who killed his family because they keep it that way, with everything and be monitored by carrying a telemetry collar would be sentenced to certain death because what happened happened and how it happened, and because being wolf needs a group … is said to bring a male think, but …

Should be strengthened first formal commitment to serious and ranchers in the area to fully convince them of the benefits from the presence of wolves on their land, because by then I was told that 4 ranch owners with which they spoke to locate within his farm at 5 great-an adult couple and three young children, said only one contributor to open this historic release. Hence observe rainfall … who or what or whom and for what … are outstanding responses to prevent further devastating sacrifices of these poor animals originally bred parents carefully selected to avoid inbreeding … possible care later in their development with extensive care and love to get a couple conform to soon give puppies … and once all integrated, with a view to removing them from re-education of humans and to teach them to hunt and survive in the wild, an issue that took more than two decades, said to be easy, but that effort was completed in less than sings a rooster, since Oct. 11 when the animals got loose, and by December had ended. In addition, I have to tell you that while he prepared for this family, in a property located in Nuevo Leon and prepared expressly for the purpose, was to locate the place, seeking to have enough length, adequate vegetation and especially appropriate prey and was far from any human community and their livestock herds to avoid conflict, which was of no avail because even prevented the possibility of that attack on the animals, say some bad experiences across the border, apparently never felt so likely to happen in Mexico. Pride ¿? A saber.

I say that the prosecutor is in charge of the case by the PGR has many years of experience, but more than that commitment to the field. I know of José Ricardo Rodriguez Soria, but I hope his background sooner quickly find the true ecocidal, which no mercy will surely be imposed the maximum penalty provided by law for such a dramatic event, as well as a high financial penalty, punishment can include up to 9 years in prison. Otherwise, I am aware that for his part, Dr. Hernando Guerrero, head of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection, is very attentive to the issue, closing clip, but still, we also hope that accurate information is released and that for the next release will not save so much reserve, but rather the opposite, so that animals are protected by society, which ultimately are the ones through tax fund any program officer, and therefore MUST NOT HIDE WE MINIMIZE ANY DATA OR LESS IMPORTANT AS A RELEASE even had to be announced with fanfare by President Felipe Calderon himself. Yes … at that level. Or less, punctuated by the Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira. This magnitude deserved the reintroduction of wolves, which in itself would have been basic to protect them.

In another case … how ignorant of the singer Emmanuel!, Supposedly very interested in the ecological and acomedido to nag about it. Someone could inform me what Holbox town belongs, and that the whale shark is a fish, the largest planet by the way, and not a marine mammal as recently noted in an interview with Joaquin Lopez Doriga my dear, who for also gave a color with the atrocities of that, and …

Term referring to another goal for zoos capital, with the arrival of a pair of giant pandas, on Monday, France, where they remain for 10 years. And us stateless? Pepe Fed Bernal trip to China and our pundits spending his last years in singleness.

As always, I say goodbye leaving my email available to what is offered: producciones_serengueti@yahoo.com

AZ Game and Fish Mexican wolf update.

November 5, 2011
By admin

November 4, 2011

MEXICAN WOLF REINTRODUCTION PROJECT NEWS
Monthly Status Report: October 1-31, 2011

The following is a summary of Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project (Project) activities in Arizona on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNF) and Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR) and in New Mexico on the Apache National Forest (ANF) and Gila National Forest (GNF). Non-tribal lands involved in this Project are collectively known as the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA). Additional Project information can be obtained by calling (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653, or by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department website at http://www.azgfd.gov/wolf or by visiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf. Past updates may be viewed on either website, or interested parties may sign up to receive this update electronically by visiting http://www.azgfd.gov/signup. This update is a public document and information in it can be used for any purpose. The Reintroduction Project is a multi-agency cooperative effort among the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), USDA Forest Service (USFS), USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS WS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT). Other entities, including private individuals and nongovernmental organizations, cooperate through the Project’s Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG) that meets periodically in Arizona and New Mexico.
To view weekly wolf telemetry flight location information or the 3-month wolf distribution map, please visit http://www.azgfd.gov/wolf. On the home page, go to the “Wolf Location Information” heading on the right side of the page near the top and scroll to the specific location information you seek.
Please report any wolf sightings or suspected livestock depredations to: (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653. To report incidents of take or harassment of wolves, please call the AGFD 24-hour dispatch (Operation Game Thief) at (800) 352-0700.
Numbering System: Mexican wolves are given an identification number recorded in an official studbook that tracks their history. Capital letters (M = Male, F = Female) preceding the number indicate adult animals 24 months or older. Lower case letters (m = male, f = female) indicate wolves younger than 24 months or pups. The capital letter “A” preceding the letter and number indicate alpha wolves.
Definitions: A “wolf pack” is defined as two or more wolves that maintain an established territory. In the event that one of the two alpha (dominant) wolves dies, the remaining alpha wolf, regardless of pack size, retains the pack status. The packs referenced in this update contain at least one wolf with a radio telemetry collar attached to it. The Interagency Field Team (IFT) recognizes that wolves without radio telemetry collars may also form packs. If the IFT confirms that wolves are associating with each other and are resident within the same home range, they will be referenced as a pack.
CURRENT POPULATION STATUS
At the end of October 2011, the collared population consisted of 37 wolves with functional radio collars dispersed among eleven packs and four single wolves. Some other uncollared wolves are known to be associating with radio-collared wolves, and others are separate from known packs.
Seasonal note: In October, the IFT continued fall trapping efforts to document pack status and pup recruitment in several packs in the BRWRA. The IFT captured three new pups-of-the-year, two new yearlings and one new adult wolf this month, including fp1250 and fp1251 from the Dark Canyon Pack, m1252 and mp1249 from the San Mateo Pack, m1248 from the Hawks Nest Pack, and M1253 on the FAIR. IFT personnel also recaptured fp1247 from the Hawks Nest Pack and AF1056 from the Paradise Pack in October. The IFT will continue efforts to trap and collar wolves from the Willow Springs Pack in November.
IN ARIZONA:
Bluestem Pack (collared AM806, AF1042, mp1240 and mp1242)
Throughout October, the IFT located these wolves in their traditional territory in the central portion of the ASNF.
Hawks Nest Pack (collared M1038, m1248, f1208, mp1244 and fp1247)
In October, these wolves continued to use their traditional territory in the north-central portion of the ASNF. IFT personnel trapped and collared a yearling wolf, m1248, which was associated with this pack this month. Toward the end of the month, this wolf began to disperse from other pack members, and was located alone outside of the traditional Hawks Nest Pack territory in the northern portion of the ASNF. The IFT documented five wolves with this pack at the end of October, consisting of four collared wolves and one uncollared pup.
Rim Pack (collared AM1107, AF858 and F1213)
Throughout October, the IFT located the Rim Pack utilizing its summer range in the central portion of the ASNF.
Paradise Pack (collared AM795, AF1056, mp1243 and mp1245)
In October, these wolves utilized the traditional summer range of their territory in the northern portion of the ASNF. IFT personnel were able to trap and recollar AF1056 this month.
ON THE FAIR:
M1183 (collared)
During October, the IFT located this wolf on the FAIR.
M1253 (collared)
In October, IFT personnel were able to trap and collar this wolf on the FAIR as part of routine fall trapping efforts.
IN NEW MEXICO:
Dark Canyon (collared AM992, AF923, fp1250 and fp1251)
Throughout October, the IFT located the Dark Canyon Pack within its traditional territory in the west-central portion of the GNF. The IFT trapped and collared two new pups-of-the-year with this pack this month.
Fox Mountain Pack (collared M1158 and F1188)
Throughout October, the IFT documented these wolves together in the northwest portion of the GNF. The IFT has been unable to document the presence of any pups with this pack this month.
Luna Pack (collared AF1115, F1246 and mp1241)
In October, the IFT located the Luna Pack within its traditional territory in the north-central portion of the GNF.
Middle Fork Pack (collared AM871 and AF861)
In October, the IFT located AM871 and AF861 within their traditional territory in the central portion of the GNF.
Morgart’s Pack (collared M1155)
Throughout October, the IFT documented this wolf traveling in the central portion of the GNF.
San Mateo Pack (collared AM1157, AF903, m1252, f1212 and mp1249)
During October, the IFT located these wolves in the traditional San Mateo Pack territory in the north-central portion of the GNF. IFT personnel captured and collared two new wolves, mp1249 and m1252, from this pack this month.
Willow Springs Pack (collared M1185)
Throughout October, the IFT located this wolf in the north-central portion of the GNF. The IFT confirmed the presence of another single wolf traveling with M1185 in October, and these two wolves are now named the Willow Springs Pack.
F1105 (collared)
At the end of October, the IFT located this wolf in the central portion of the GNF. The IFT continued efforts to document the presence of the one remaining hybrid pup which this wolf produced this past spring; however, no evidence of the pup has been found.
f1211 (collared)
During October, the IFT documented this wolf traveling through the north-central portion of the GNF.
MORTALITIES
No wolf mortalities were documented this month.

INCIDENTS
During October, IFT personnel investigated three livestock depredation incidents in the BRWRA. None of the incidents involved Mexican wolves.
On October 9, WS personnel investigated at least eleven dead yearlings in the vicinity of Canyon del Buey on the GNF. The cause of death was determined to be complications associated with transportation of the cattle to the grazing allotment. The carcasses were covered with lime to reduce their palatability to scavengers in the area.
On October 18, WS personnel investigated a dead cow near Sand Flat on the GNF. The cause of death was determined to be organ failure.
On October 24, WS personnel investigated a dead cow on the FAIR. The cause of death was undetermined, but not attributable to predation.
CAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
No significant activity occurred this month.
COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION
On October 8, Jeff Dolphin presented a Project overview to 40 wildlife management students and associated class instructors from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University at the Sipe Wildlife Area.
On October 8, Melissa Kreutzian presented a Project overview to 40 individuals at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.
On October 22, Melissa Kreutzian and staff from the USFWS Regional Office presented a Project overview and Mexican wolf information at the Rio Grande Zoo during Wolf Awareness Week.
PROJECT PERSONNEL
Janess Vartanian, rejoined the Project as a temporary FWS technician this month. Janess worked for several years previously on the Project as a biologist for the AGFD, and we are fortunate to have her back.
After almost 30 years of involvement in efforts to reintroduce Mexican wolves back into the southwestern United States, Terry Johnson, endangered species coordinator for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, is calling it a career. Terry has been instrumental in almost all aspects of reintroduction activities, and his dedication to the involvement of all stakeholders in the process of Mexican wolf reintroduction and management has been a hallmark of his time with the Project. Terry will remain involved in policy issues for AGFD on a part-time basis. Thank you, Terry, for all of your efforts and dedication to the return of Mexican wolves to the Southwestern landscape. Your guidance and insight will be sorely missed!
REWARDS OFFERED
The USFWS is offering a reward of up to $10,000; the AGFD Operation Game Thief is offering a reward of up to $1,000; and the NMDGF is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the conviction of the individual(s) responsible for the shooting deaths of Mexican wolves. A variety of non-governmental organizations and private individuals have pledged an additional $46,000 for a total reward amount of up to $58,000, depending on the information provided.
Individuals with information they believe may be helpful are urged to call one of the following agencies: USFWS special agents in Mesa, Arizona, at (480) 967-7900, in Alpine, Arizona, at (928) 339-4232, or in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at (505) 346-7828; the WMAT at (928) 338-1023 or (928) 338-4385; AGFD Operation Game Thief at (800) 352-0700; or NMDGF Operation Game Thief at (800) 432-4263. Killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of 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.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

Mexican Authorities Release Mexican Wolves In Sonora

October 21, 2011
By admin

Mexican Authorities Release Mexican Wolves In Sonora
Arizona Game and Fish Department

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Mexican authorities released five Mexican wolves in the San Luis Mountains in Sonora, Mexico, on Oct. 12, 2011, approximately 80 miles south of Douglas, Ariz.

Mexico’s desire to release wolves in Sonora as part of its recovery effort has been known for the past two years, although the exact timetable for release was unknown.

“Mexico is a sovereign nation with its own wildlife conservation and recovery goals. The vast majority of historic habitat for the Mexican wolf is actually in Mexico, and long-term full recovery of the sub-species is incumbent on successful recovery there, as well as our recovery efforts in the U.S.,” said Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine how the wolves will be monitored and managed if animals cross the international border.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been actively involved in the multi-agency effort to reintroduce Mexican wolves to portions of their historic range in the east-central portion of Arizona (and adjacent New Mexico) for many years. In 1998, 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) in eastern Arizona.

The current population in Arizona-New Mexico was assessed to be approximately 50 animals during 2011 monitoring. The Mexican wolf is considered endangered in the United States and Mexico.

Game and Fish continues to express concern over the lack of progress in aspects of wolf conservation.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts earlier this year to update the 1982 recovery plan for the Mexican wolf throughout its historic range in the American Southwest and Mexico,” said Voyles. “The Service also recently released a draft management plan for wolves that might travel to Arizona or New Mexico as a result of the recent release in Sonora or future releases in Mexico. It will likely take years to finalize either plan because of federal environmental compliance processes that could easily be further drawn out by appeals and even litigation.”

Voyles added that wolf management is an emotional issue with potential effects on the human environment, as well as the natural environment. Everyone engaged in wolf management has a responsibility towards open and transparent coordination and information sharing with Arizona stakeholders, as mandated under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Voyles said Game and Fish will make every effort to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service, neighboring states, counties, and Mexico, to the extent that transparency allows, to manage and conserve wolves in Arizona.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

Mexican authorities to release Mexican wolves in Sonora

September 14, 2011
By admin


Posted in: News Media
Sep 12, 2011

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been informed that Mexican authorities plan to release five Mexican wolves this month at an undisclosed ranch location in northeastern Sonora, Mexico.

While the department does not know the specific date or other details at this time, it has received indications that the wolves being released will be fitted with satellite tracking collars.

Game and Fish is currently considering what, if any, impacts this release might have on Arizona’s Mexican wolf conservation and stakeholders. The department will continue to monitor activities related to the planned release and will continue to inform constituents as information becomes available.

Arizona Game and Fish has been actively involved in the multi-partner effort reintroducing Mexican wolves to portions of their historical range in the east-central portion of the state for many years. In 1998, 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) in eastern Arizona. The current population was assessed to be around 50 animals during 2011 monitoring.

The Mexican wolf is considered endangered in the United States.

Extremists file another EAJA funded lawsuit. Lawsuit Launched to Protect Mexican Gray Wolves From Leghold Traps

August 18, 2011
By admin

For Immediate Release, August 17, 2011
Contact: Michael Robinson, (575) 534-0360
Lawsuit Launched to Protect Mexican Gray Wolves From Leghold Traps
New Mexico Officials Approved Traps, Ignoring Injured and Killed Wolves
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal notice of intent to sue the New Mexico State Game Commission and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish over the commission’s recent vote to resume recreational trapping in the Gila National Forest, where federally protected, endangered Mexican gray wolves live. Besides being listed under the Endangered Species Act, the wolves are also listed as endangered under state law.
“With only 50 animals and just two breeding pairs surviving in the wild, Mexican wolves can’t afford more losses to these cruel leghold traps,” said the Center’s Michael Robinson. “Responsible hunters know their targets, but trapping is indiscriminate. And while hunters aim for a clean and quick kill, trapped wolves can suffer debilitating and even fatal injuries while struggling to get free.”
A recent report disclosed that, since wolf reintroduction began in 1998, five Mexican wolves have sustained injuries — including some requiring foot and leg amputations — and two other wolves have died as a result of trapping by private parties in the Gila National Forest. This does not include wolves trapped by federal officials on behalf of the livestock industry, which has not occurred since 2007 and is not at issue in today’s notice.
Recreational trapping in the Gila National Forest was halted by the game commission in November 2010 to protect endangered wolves. But on July 21, upon recommendation of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the game commission voted to allow trapping in the Gila to resume, while misrepresenting the report documenting the five wolf injuries and two fatalities to trapping as somehow providing justification.
The Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973 to conserve imperiled species and their ecosystems; it specifically bans trapping of endangered animals. Yet the Game Commission and Department’s recent decision authorizes trapping that is known to capture protected wolves, causing illegal “take” (harassment, harm or killing) to occur.
While the 1998 federal rule authorizing reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves allowed some “accidental” trapping of wolves, trapping a wolf within its known range “will not be considered unavoidable, accidental, or unintentional take, unless due care was exercised to avoid taking a wolf.” In allowing trapping again, the game commission has not exercised due care.

Environmentalists renew pressure for trapping ban in Mexican gray wolf recovery area

July 30, 2011
By admin
  • SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN  Associated Press
  • First Posted: July 30, 2011 – 9:01 am
    Last Updated: July 30, 2011 – 9:01 am

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Now that state game officials have cleared the way for furbearer trapping to resume in southwestern New Mexico, environmentalists want the federal government to do more to protect the Mexican gray wolf.

WildEarth Guardians this week asked forest and wildlife officials to reconsider a petition that seeks an end to trapping throughout the wolf’s range in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona.

The federal government has been trying to reintroduce the animals to the region since 1998.

Supporters of the program contend that trapping presents a threat to wolf recovery.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says that since 2002, there have been 14 incidents involving wolves caught in traps.

Regional spokesman Tom Buckley says the agency plans to monitor the situation now that New Mexico’s ban has been lifted.

NM Game Commission votes to end trapping ban By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

July 15, 2011
By admin

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9OKPT4G2.htm

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.

State game commissioners approved a recommendation from wildlife managers to end a trapping ban in southwestern New Mexico, where federal officials have been working to reintroduce the Mexican gray wolf.

The commission voted unanimously Thursday in favor of the state Game and Fish Department’s proposal during a meeting in Clayton.

The vote disappointed conservationists, who had sent thousands of emails and letters to the commissioners in recent weeks to support keeping the ban in place.

Regulated furbearer trapping on the Gila and Apache national forests was banned last summer by former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson, a supporter of the wolf reintroduction effort.

The commission extended the ban last fall, giving researchers more time to study the risks of trapping and snaring to wolves.

The researchers are done with their work but a report summarizing their findings has yet to be made public, and conservation groups have accused the Game and Fish Department of colluding with trapping and livestock groups to influence the commission’s decision-making process.

Despite a public records request, the conservationists claim the agency has refused to provide information related to meetings the department allegedly held with industry groups on the trapping issue.

Interior Announces Proposed Settlement of Gray Wolf Lawsuit 03/18/2011

March 22, 2011
By admin

 Contact: Kendra Barkoff, DOI (202) 208 6416 Chris Tollefson, FWS (202) 247-7417 WASHINGTON, DC -

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reached an agreement with the majority of plaintiffs, including Defenders of Wildlife, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and eight other conservation organizations, to settle ongoing litigation over a Federal District Court’s 2010 decision to reinstate Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains.

If approved by the court, the settlement offers a path for the Service to return management of the recovered wolf populations in Idaho and Montana to the States while the Service considers options for delisting gray wolves across the Rocky Mountain region, where population levels have returned to biologically recovered levels. “For too long, management of wolves in this country has been caught up in controversy and litigation instead of rooted in science where it belongs. This proposed settlement provides a path forward to recognize the successful recovery of the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains and to return its management to States and Tribes,” said Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes. “I am pleased that the negotiations resulted in this important agreement,” said Acting Service Director Rowan Gould. “The proposed settlement has the potential to return management of wolves in Montana and Idaho to the states and tribes and will also enable the Fish and Wildlife Service to use our limited resources to address other species in need of recovery actions.” Under the terms of the settlement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to address the delisting of wolves in the region in the future as a distinct population segment, rather than on a state-by-state basis. The parties are requesting that the court allow the 2009 delisting to be reinstated in Montana and Idaho on an interim basis, in accordance with approved state management plans, until a full delisting can be completed for the northern Rocky Mountain wolf population. The parties are agreeing that they allow these steps to move forward, up to and including a potential delisting of Rocky Mountain wolves, without resorting to further litigation. “I want to recognize the great work of Deputy Secretary Hayes, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the entire negotiating team, and all those who worked with us to find a common-sense way forward,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Separate negotiations are ongoing between the Service and the State of Wyoming in an effort to reach agreement on a management plan for wolves in that state. If a mutually acceptable management plan for wolves in Wyoming can be developed, then the Service will be able to proceed with delisting proceedings addressing wolves throughout the northern Rocky Mountains. The delisting provided for under this agreement does not extend to the small wolf populations in eastern Oregon and Washington, or to Utah, where there are not believed to be any resident wolves. FWS intends to address the longer term status of wolves in Oregon, Washington, and Utah when it issues a new rule addressing status of wolves across the Northern Rocky Mountain region. FWS will work with state officials in Oregon, Washington and Utah in the meantime to address any wolf management issues and retains the option to consider reclassifying wolves from “endangered” to “threatened” in those states in order to provide more management flexibility. The Service and the plaintiffs have agreed to take other actions that will clarify implementation of the ESA and ensure that a recovered wolf population continues to be sustainably managed under approved state management plans. Additional terms of the proposed agreement are available here. The ESA provides a critical safety net for America’s native fish, wildlife and plants. This landmark conservation law has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species across the nation and promoted the recovery of many others. Additional background information on the settlement is available here.

Truth be known, this is likely the 10000th meeting on this species in the SW but heck who’s counting as long as those government paychecks cash.

February 25, 2011
By admin

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_17478569?source=most_viewed

Recovery team holds first meeting about wolves
Sun News Report
Posted: 02/24/2011 11:15:58 PM MST
SILVER CITY – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region convened the new Mexican Wolf Recovery Team for its first meeting on Tuesday.
The team is made up of four groups that are charged with writing the revised Mexican wolf recovery plan, Fish and Wildlife said in a prepared news release.
The four groups are: science and planning, agency liaisons, tribal liaisons and stakeholder liaisons. The groups are made up of scientists, wildlife managers and informed and experienced stakeholders from the livestock community, conservation community and other local interests who will work collaboratively to develop the recovery plan.
“We have assembled some of the best scientists, wildlife managers, and forward-thinking stakeholders to accomplish our goal of completing a recovery plan for the Mexican wolf,” said Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southwest regional director. “As they work with our scientists and wolf specialists over the next two years, I am confident that the recovery plan that is produced will guide us toward recovery of one of the Southwest’s most iconic species.”
The team will be led by Peter Siminski, Ph.D., from the Department of Mammology, The Living Desert, Palm Desert, California. The team’s coordinator and liaison to the Service is Tracy Melbihess, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Both Siminski and Melbihess are very familiar with this topic, having worked on past efforts to revise the recovery plan.
The Southwest Region has also put in place two new managers for the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, Sherry Barrett as the Mexican wolf recovery coordinator, who will oversee all aspects of Mexican wolf recovery. Barrett is an experienced manager who comes to Albuquerque from the Ecological Services field office in Tucson, Ariz., where she served as the assistant field supervisor.
Elizabeth Jozwiak will be the field project coordinator, and will manage all of the Interagency Field Team staff. Jozwiak came from Alaska, where she was a wildlife biologist specializing in carnivore and large predator management at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna.
The 1982 recovery plan for the Mexican wolf recommended a two-pronged approach to recovery that included establishment of a captive breeding program and reintroduction of wolves into the wild. Fish and Wildlife said, although substantial progress in implementing the plan has been achieved, the plan does not contain criteria for recovering and delisting the wolf in the southwestern United States. Developing these criteria will be an important focus of the new recovery planning effort, Fish and Wildlife said.
The team, working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, will write the revised recovery plan, which will contain broad recovery strategies to guide conservation efforts, and specific goals, objectives, and criteria that will specify when the Mexican wolf can be considered for down-listing and delisting. The team will develop a prioritized list of implementation actions, with time and cost estimates, to achieve Mexican wolf recovery.
For more information visit: www.fws.gov/southwest

Mexican wolf Petition please sign here.

Northern wolf petition please sign.

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