2 new wolf packs established in NM

Federal wildlife managers have designated two more Mexican gray wolf packs in New Mexico, bringing the number of packs in the American Southwest to 14. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been trying to return the predators to their historic range in New Mexico and Arizona for more than a dozen years, but the program has been troubled by issues such as politics, illegal shootings and courtroom battles. Liz Jozwiak, the field coordinator for the Mexican gray wolf recovery program, said several packs are showing signs of denning behavior, which could mean a new batch of pups. The possibility of pups coupled with the formation of the two new packs in June mark what Jozwiak called a "significant, positive step" for the population, which is scattered across millions of forested acres in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. "Just seeing that there is some natural disbursal and individuals are finding each other, forming packs and having the opportunity to breed is significant," she said. "I think that's going to really contribute to the overall recovery of the population." One of the new packs, dubbed the Canyon Creek pack, is in the Beaverhead area northeast of the Gila Wilderness. In the past, Robinson said the area was the "epicenter of wolf-livestock conflict." The area is home to a sizeable elk herd...more