2 Mexican Wolves Released Into the Wild

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), along with its partners in the Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Forest Service and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Wildlife Services, and with cooperation from Apache and Greenlee counties and other local stakeholders – released an adult male Mexican wolf (M1049) and translocated an adult female (F1105), into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) last week. “This first wolf release of 2011 is just one of the actions we are undertaking to increase the number of Mexican wolves on the ground,” said Benjamin Tuggle, Southwest Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The Service is committed to having a genetically-viable, self-sustaining population of Mexican wolves living in their former range. Our partners share that commitment, and –thanks to their support and the hard work of our Interagency Field Team – we’re moving toward making that vision a reality.” The release and translocation of these two wolves into separate areas of the BRWRA went off without a hitch. They ran off into the snow to begin the next chapter of their lives, hopefully producing many pups over the years...more