Defenders of Wildlife today voiced deep concern regarding the capture of a female Mexican gray wolf, known locally as Asha, who has repeatedly shown a great desire for dispersal. The FWS will attempt to breed Asha to restrict her movement upon rerelease into the wild.
“This wolf posed no threat to anyone,” said Bryan Bird, Defenders’ Southwest program director. “She should be allowed to roam, to seek her own destiny. Wolves will naturally repopulate their historic range and we should be facilitating that instinct and preparing the way with facts and common-sense activities.”
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish air lifted the Mexican gray wolf F-2754from Coyote, New Mexico to Sevilleta Wolf Management Facility where agency officials paired her with a captive-bred male in hopes of a litter by summer 2024. Asha left the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area for the second time in October 2023 and was captured more than 300 miles north in an area conservationists deem suitable habitat.
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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