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 Conserving the Mexican WolfWhat We DoContact UsNewsSpecies Once common throughout parts of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico, the Mexican wolf was all but eliminated from the wild by the 1970s due to conflicts with livestock. In 1976, the Mexican wolf was listed as endangered and a binational captive breeding program was initiated soon after to save this unique gray wolf from extinction. In 1998, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service released the first captive Mexican wolves into the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area in Arizona and New Mexico. Absent from the landscape for over 30 years, the resounding howl of the endangered Mexican wolf could once again be heard in the mountains of the Southwest.Latest Stories and TopicsStoriesA wolf technician with the Mexican wolf recovery program carries a wolf in from a helicopter.Endangered Species ActMexican Wolf Population Grows for Eighth Consecutive YearThe wild population of Mexican wolves saw another year of growth in 2023, according to the results of the annual survey. The 2023 population census revealed a minimum of 257 Mexican wolves distributed across Arizona and New Mexico. This increase marks the eighth consecutive year of population...Mar 5, 2024A Mexican wolf runs near a fence at a wolf facility in New MexicoWildlife ManagementFemale Mexican Wolf Captured and Paired with Mate in CaptivityFemale Mexican wolf 2754 (aka Asha) was captured on Saturday, December 9, 2023, north of Interstate 40 near Coyote, NM.Dec 11, 2023A Mexican wolf runs near a fence at a wolf facility in New MexicoEndangered Species ActMexican Wolf Located North of Interstate 40 in Northwest New MexicoA female wolf (F2754) has been documented crossing out of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) north of Interstate 40 in New Mexico. The wolf is affixed with a radio collar, which is transmitting its location. She was documented crossing the I-40 boundary west of Albuquerque late...Nov 2, 2023A close image of a Mexican wolf pup licks the mouth of an adult Mexican wolfEndangered Species ActHow Mexican Wolves Were Saved From ExtinctionWhen the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted in 1973, wolves were among the first species to be put on the list. Having stood on the precipice of extinction, the ESA not only halted the killing of wolves across the country but also called for actions to restore their numbers. The Mexican wolf...Oct 16, 2023A Mexican wolf runs near a fence at a wolf facility in New MexicoWildlife ManagementMexican Wolf Released Back into the WildA female Mexican wolf was successfully translocated back into the wild in Arizona on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Female wolf 2754 was captured in northern New Mexico in January and temporarily held at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Sevilleta Mexican Wolf Management Facility outside...Jun 14, 2023Adult male Mexican wolf runningWildlife ManagementFinding Mexican Wolf Dens in the WildEvery spring, staff with the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program are tasked with finding wild dens of Mexican wolves. Even with modern technology, it is no easy task. The primary reason biologists need to find Mexican wolf dens in the wild is to carry out pup fostering efforts.Jun 1, 2023View All NewsOur LibraryImage DetailsMexican Wolf Program Quarterly ReportsMexican Wolf Interagency Field Team Quarterly ReportsLibrary Collection8 ItemsMexican Wolf Program Annual Progress ReportsAnnual progress reports released by the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program.Library Collection6 ItemsView Our LibraryProjects and ResearchThe Mexican wolf is the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Once common throughout portions of the southwestern United States, the Mexican wolf was all but eliminated from the wild by the 1970s. In 1977, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve the species. In 1998, Mexican wolves were released to the wild for the first time in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area within the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. Missing from the landscape for more than 30 years, the howl of the Mexican wolf can once again be heard in the mountains of the southwestern United States.This web mapping application displays generalized Mexican Wolf locations as recorded by the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team (IFT). These locations might have been obtained through aerial surveys or GPS-enabled collars used to track animal movements.View All ProjectsOur SpeciesThe Mexican wolf (*Canis lupus baileyi*), is the smallest, southern-most occurring, rarest, and most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Mexican wolves typically weigh 50 - 80 pounds and measure about 5 1⁄2 feet from nose to tail, and stand 28 to 32 inches at the shoulder. They have a distinctive, richly colored coat of buff, gray, rust, and black, often with distinguishing facial patterns; solid black or white variations do not exist as with other North American gray wolves.View Our Species
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