Mexican gray wolves

09/08/2026

Ranchers claim that Mexican gray wolves are decimating their cattle herds, but recent reporting from KUNM News reveals that wolf predation on livestock in Catron County, New Mexico is decreasing - even as the wolf population increases.

So where's the beef? Certainly not with Mexican wolves.

More: https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2026-06-11/mexican-wolf-debate-economic-impact-surprisingly-small

09/07/2026

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretary of the Interior to consider removing Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves and Mexican gray wolves, as well as provide recommendations for legislative efforts to do the same. It goes further and encourages the federal agencies to meddle with states’ protected species laws to remove protections, and directs the agencies to weaken evidentiary standards related to predation of livestock.

"This is a huge distraction to placate a handful of ranchers and make them believe that wolves are a greater threat than President Trump's own policies," said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project, which works to conserve wildlife in western US states.

The US president says the move will help ranchers, but conservationists say it could derail efforts to recover populations.

09/01/2026

“When you see allotments with chronic wolf and livestock conflict, it is time to ask whether there is something different the livestock operator could be doing to minimize the conflict,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project.

“In fact, one of the orders mentions that a lethal removal was already executed in this area in May 2026 but only temporarily reduced depredations. So why is the government continuing to kill wolves if it doesn’t work to halt livestock losses?”

For immediate release August 27, 2026 Media contacts: Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project (520)623-1878; [email protected] Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center (914)763-2373; [email protected] Leia Barnett, WildEarth Guardians, (970)406-2125; [email protected] Sandy B...

08/26/2026

Mexican gray wolves deserve to roam! 🐺

In 2015, the acting governors of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah supported a political decision to prevent Mexican wolves from roaming north of Interstate 40, despite the best available science at the time indicating there was suitable habitat in the Southern Rockies and Grand Canyon area.

Join WildEarth Guardians and other lobo advocates in calling on the the current governors to rescind their support for the Interstate 40 line and allow lobos to roam free ⬇️

In 2015, the then-governors of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah supported a political decision to prevent Mexican wolves from roaming north of Interstate 40. However, wolves need to room to roam in order to be healthy. We are calling on the current governors to rescind their support for the I...

08/19/2026

According to the Albuquerque Journal report published last week, Bill Nelson illegally trapped a Mexican gray wolf last summer on public lands and “accidentally” killed him by wrapping a heavy sleeping bag around his head while attempting to remove him from the leghold trap. The wolf, the breeding male of the Frieborn Pack, choked on his own vomit and suffocated to death during the ordeal.

Nelson previously killed a female Mexican wolf in 2013 while working for Wildlife Services; he claimed he thought she was a coyote. He then went to work for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, who employed him through at least 2022, and more recently worked as a control officer for Catron County.

In addition to killing the Mexican wolf, Nelson violated Roxy's Law by setting the trap on public land. So why isn't he being prosecuted?

Bill Nelson has killed another endangered Mexican gray wolf. Once again, authorities treated it as an accident and declined to prosecute.

08/17/2026

A coalition of wildlife conservation, environmental and animal protection organizations is demanding accountability after new reporting revealed that the New Mexico Department of Justice declined to bring criminal charges against a trapper who illegally set a trap on public land and then killed an endangered Mexican gray wolf.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico Department of Wildlife sought prosecution in the case, while the NMDOJ and federal authorities declined to bring charges.

Since 2022, at least 23 Mexican gray wolves have been documented caught in traps in New Mexico, demonstrating that trapping is an ongoing and recurring threat to the state’s endangered wolf population.

Coalition of conservation organizations demands justice for Mexican gray wolf killed in illegal coyote trap on public lands.

07/31/2026

This month, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and New Mexico Department of Wildlife announced that they are preparing a petition for downlisting Mexican gray wolves, which would result in decreased protections for the species.

Advocates are concerned that the downlisting is based on criteria that don't adequately measure recovery.

“We’ve argued against those recovery criteria because we think that's pretty arbitrary and doesn't speak to the long-term genetic viability of the population,” said Greta Anderson of Western Watersheds Project. “Based on the information we have about the ongoing genetic needs of the species, and the vulnerability of the populations in the wild, we don't think that they're ready to even have a lesser level of federal protection.”

Mexican wolf advocates are alarmed after Arizona Game and Fish officials say they’re preparing a petition to downgrade the species from endangered to threatened.

07/22/2026

As federal + state wildlife agencies prepare to pursue downlisting of Mexican gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act, a coalition representing 15 wildlife conservation, environmental, and animal protection organizations is urging New Mexico leaders to strengthen—not weaken—protections for the endangered subspecies.

“New Mexico made important progress with the passage of Roxy’s Law and preliminary population growth, but recent events demonstrate that significant and alarming gaps remain,” said Michelle Lute, Ph.D. in wolf conservation and executive director of Wildlife for All. “True recovery means ensuring wolves can survive and thrive in perpetuity. The plague of both intentional and incidental trapping deaths makes clear that serious gaps remain in the protections for this still very rare species. Downlisting should follow durable recovery, not substitute for it.”

Federal and state agencies pursue downlisting of Mexican gray wolves but a coalition is urging leaders to strengthen—not weaken—protections.

07/13/2026

The recent news about the brutal killing of two members of the Sawtooth Pack should lead to conversations about changing Mexican gray wolf management, but some refuse to acknowledge science, ethics, and the law in their dismissal of the killings.

Both the president of the New Mexico Cattlegrowers' Association and a longtime trapper assert that killing wolves is the most effective way to prevent conflict, despite science and history proving that killing wolves only exacerbates conflict and destablizes wolf families.

It isn’t “management” that is driving these violent and cruel actions, but disdain and revenge, neither of which are acceptable. Wolves are neither good nor bad. They don’t deserve to be tortured and abused.

Two Mexican wolves were brutally killed by trappers. A local wildlife advocate says cruelty, not management, is driving these actions.

07/07/2026

Traps are cruel, inumane, and unfortunately, quite prevalent across Mexican gray wolf range. From January to March this year, at least 9 wolves were caught in private traps in New Mexico.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that 84 Mexican wolves have been caught in private traps since 1998, the majority in New Mexico. Of those, at least five died as a result of being trapped, 11 had a leg amputated and 79 were rereleased.

This practice needs to end.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that 84 wolves have been caught in private traps since 1998, the majority in New Mexico. Of those, at least five died as a result of being trapped, 11 had a leg amputated and 79 were rereleased.