Protect Mexican Gray Wolves

The critically endangered Mexican gray wolf is the rarest subspecies of all North American gray wolves. Once numbering in the thousands, the population was nearly wiped out by the early 1980s through federal, state, and private eradication campaigns using poisons, hunting, and trapping. In 1976, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed Mexican wolves as endangered and began a captive breeding program based on just seven remaining individuals. In 1998, USFWS reintroduced captive-born wolves into a management zone straddling the Arizona-New Mexico border, and reintroductions have continued since.

Mexican wolf recovery is vital to re-establishing balance in our ecosystems. As apex predators, wolves regulate deer and elk populations, benefit plant life and riparian habitats, and promote biodiversity. However, they face serious threats: critically low genetic diversity (the entire population descended from only seven animals), ongoing rancher and local government opposition—including county commissions declaring "wolf emergencies"—and illegal killing, which remains the largest source of mortality since reintroduction began. Too often, USFWS regulations reflect politics rather than science.

The good news? The latest count documented 286 wolves in the wild—the eighth consecutive year of growth. New Mexico Wild and partners are pursuing a federal lawsuit to force USFWS to revise management policies, comply with the Endangered Species Act, address genetic threats, prevent illegal killings, allow wolves into habitat north of I-40, and establish three interconnected subpopulations as scientists recommend.

For decades, New Mexico Wild has protected our small Mexican wolf population and advocated for responsible wildlife management. With your help, we'll continue until the iconic Mexican wolf is recovered. Because Wolves Belong!