20 Years Later: Mexican Gray Wolves Still Fighting for Recovery

Today marks the 20^th anniversary of the release of Mexican gray wolves into the wild of Arizona. On March 29, 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 11 wolves from captivity into the wild in Arizona as part of a program to reintroduce the imperiled wolves back to the landscape where they had been hunted, trapped and persecuted to near extinction.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO, issued this statement:

“I will always consider my role in the release of these beautiful wolves to be one of the highlights of my career. The energy and excitement that was put forward that day by Native American leaders, wolf advocates and state and federal scientists is a true testament to the power of collaborative conservation.

“We must put politics aside and implement efforts to recover wolves and their habitat. If we are thoughtful in our approach, give these wolves a little support and get out of their way, I think we will have a great success story in Mexican gray wolf recovery.”

Bryan Bird, Southwest program director, issued this statement:

“Once numbered in the thousands, it was only 20 years ago that the Mexican gray wolf was extinct in the wild. This historic release was a monumental step towards their recovery.

“But with only 114 wolves left today in Arizona and New Mexico, the future of the ‘lobo’ is still uncertain. The recently released recovery plan ignores science-based recommendations and leaves the species without much hope for growth. The Mexican gray wolf remains the most endangered subspecies of gray wolf in the world.

“The Southwestern landscape depends on these wolves. Withholding protections would hurt the species and in turn, the entire landscape.”

Multimedia:

Defenders of Wildlife helped to produce a short video about the release and what it meant for the recovery of this iconic Southwestern species. View the video here.