U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Returns Asha
SANTA FE, NM

Defenders of Wildlife Southwest Program Director Bryan Bird issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service release of Mexican gray wolf f2754, a female from the Rocky Prairie pack, back to Arizona after it was captured crossing Interstate 40 hundreds of miles away from the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. Her movement toward Colorado shows the Mexican gray wolf’s ability to thrive outside its arbitrarily designated population area in Arizona and New Mexico.  
 
“Asha, the female Mexican gray wolf wandered north towards Colorado, her movement is encouraging and serves as more evidence that there is good wolf habitat in northern New Mexico,” Bird said.” The timing of Asha’s release following a hearing on the recovery plan in court may be fortuitous.” 


The release comes days after a federal hearing on the potential rewrite of the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan -- petitioned for by Defenders and partners in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit -- which could have a positive impact on the wolf’s freedom to roam northward. 
 

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

Media Contact

Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org

News

Image
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Washington, D.C.

FWS Withdraws Land Protection Plan Threatening Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is withdrawing the final Land Protection Plan for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, which established an
Image
A flock of red-winged blackbirds fly over Lake Mattamuskeet
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Bird Sanctuary Protected from Planned Toxic Chemical Experiment

A federal court ruled in favor of Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center challenging the