The Mexican gray wolf population has experienced both hope and tragedy this summer, highlighting the complex challenges facing North America’s most endangered wolf subspecies.
Asha’s Long-Awaited Freedom
In early August, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released Mexican gray wolf Asha along with her captive-born mate Arcadia and their five pups onto the Ladder Ranch adjacent to the Aldo Leopold Wilderness. Asha had spent a year and a half in captivity after twice wandering north of Interstate 40 beyond the arbitrary boundary of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area.
The release, which came six weeks late and only after pressure from 8,000 citizens and 36 conservation organizations, represents a potential boost to genetic diversity in the wild population. Asha’s story gained national attention as she followed her natural instincts to explore historic wolf territory in northern New Mexico.
Federal Kill Orders Undermine Recovery
However, newly released records reveal troubling contradictions in federal wolf management. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ordered the killing of multiple genetically valuable Mexican gray wolves this year, including a three-month-old female pup shot from the air on the Gila National Forest in August.
Since January 2025, federal agencies have killed or removed several wolves across Arizona and New Mexico, targeting animals whose rare genetics could have strengthened the population’s limited gene pool. These actions include the April shooting of a likely pregnant matriarch and the live capture of an entire family pack in Arizona.
Counties Declare “Emergency” Over Wolf Population
Adding to the challenges, several New Mexico counties, including Socorro, Sierra, and Catron, have declared “states of emergency” over the Mexican gray wolf population, with additional counties like Chaves, Cibola, Luna, and Grant passing supporting resolutions. These declarations mischaracterize the current situation and threaten to undermine the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program through defunding and premature delisting.
New Mexico Wild urges Governor Lujan Grisham to reject these disaster declarations and instead support science-based wolf management. With approximately 280 Mexican gray wolves having made a miraculous recovery since reintroduction in 1998, the real emergency is the alarming increase in anti-wolf sentiment while the population remains remarkably tenuous. Loss of Endangered Species Act protections could conceivably lead to their extinction.
The Path Forward
The contrast between celebrating Asha’s release while simultaneously ordering wolf killings and facing political pressure for delisting demonstrates the contradictory approaches hampering recovery efforts. New Mexico Wild continues advocating for science-based management that prioritizes recovery over reactive removals and political pressure. The Mexican gray wolf’s survival depends on allowing these highly intelligent animals to reclaim their ancestral territories without arbitrary boundaries or death sentences. Take Action for wolves here.
