Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that the Mexican wolf population plummeted by 20 percent in 2009, according to its annual year-end survey of the recovery area spanning New Mexico and Arizona. This recent survey counted only 42 wolves and two breeding pairs brings them closer to a second extinction in the wild.
The following is a statement from Eva Sargent, Ph.D., the Southwest program director for Defenders of Wildlife.
“Mexican wolves are in big trouble. With numbers so perilously low, every single wolf in the wild counts toward the animal’s survival. Turning this dire situation around will require every effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to craft a science-based recovery plan that pays careful attention to genetic issues. The Service must also make a renewed commitment to keep wolves on the ground."
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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