State and federal wildlife officials are offering a more than $100,000 reward in the death of a Mexican gray wolf found near a Forest Service road outside of Flagstaff on November 7. The wolf, F2979, was the first Mexican gray wolf documented outside of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. Below is Defenders of Wildlife Southwest Program Director Bryan Bird’s statement.
“This wolf did not need to die, and every senseless death is a huge blow to the species’ recovery,” Bird said. “There’s at least one more wolf roaming north of I-40 toward what’s considered the best available habitat for these wolves — and others will return. Wildlife managers must prepare and support local communities to make necessary adjustments to ensure the survival of these wolves. Mexican gray wolves are incredibly resilient; all that’s really needed for their recovery is that we not kill them.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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