Mexican gray wolves

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.

07/03/2026

A great read from Western Watersheds Project that summarizes the Mexican gray wolf media coverage over the last month.

Articles detailed everything from government interference to illegal killing to propaganda about the (minimal) impact Mexican gray wolves have on livestock. It's obvious that these endangered wolves face countless threats and it's up to advocates like you to change their future.

"It’s clear that we need stronger protections for wolves – from ethically-questionable decisionmakers, from loopholes in New Mexico laws, and from the myths that skew public perception against the native carnivores."

A remarkable month of reporting challenged long-held claims about Mexican gray wolves, exposed potential conflicts of interest, and shed new light on how the recovery program really works.

07/02/2026

The pack is back 🐺 😎

We're ready to resume our rightful place as THE source of Mexican gray wolf news, education, and strategy. The strength of the wolf is the pack - so let's make this pack the strongest one yet!

Photo: Wolf Conservation Center

12/26/2025

12/23/2025

When agencies create and enforce boundaries, such as state lines and experimental population boundaries in NM and AZ, there are not only concerns about the risks of death and injury inherent in any wildlife capture, but also a concern that transcends potential impacts on individual wolves. Such high-level and sustained intervention focused on only allowing certain wolves in certain places doesn’t allow widespread and meaningful recovery of wild wolves across their historic range and may be an ineffective use of taxpayer and conservation dollars. Priority for time, funding and other resources should be dedicated to actually conserving and protecting wolves, not moving them according to political whims.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife released a gray wolf in Grand County last week after the animal was returned to the state by the New Mexico wildlife agency. While the action was guided by an interstate...