Mexican gray wolf population peaks in American Southwest

There are now more Mexican gray wolves roaming the American Southwest than at any time since the federal government began reintroducing the endangered predators. An annual survey released Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows at least 109 wolves are spread among forested lands in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. The population is more than double what it was in 2010. Last year, the survey turned up at least 83 wolves. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle described the increase as a monumental milestone that has resulted from a combination of management changes made in recent years, experiments such as cross-fostering pups among different wolf packs and more social tolerance for the animals. The reintroduction effort has been hampered by politics, illegal killings and other factors. Disputes over management of the program have spurred numerous legal actions by environmentalists who want more wolves to be released and by ranchers concerned about their livelihoods and safety in rural communities. Tuggle pointed to efforts to interact more with ranchers, methods for limiting livestock kills by wolves and a compensation program aimed at easing the economic consequences of wolf predation. "We very clearly knew from the very beginning that we couldn't get along strictly with the biology," he said. "The social tolerance part is absolutely critical." Despite the increase in wolf numbers, federal wildlife officials are still concerned about ensuring genetic diversity. Inbreeding can cause a number of problems, including low survivability among pups. Officials said 2014 marked one of the most successful years, with 38 pups surviving at least through the end of the year. That's compared to only 17 in 2013. While biologists documented 19 packs between Arizona and New Mexico, there were only eight breeding pairs...more