Despite these few livestock depredations, a minority of anti-wolf antagonists are frustrating the wolves' recovery. During the program's first year, five of eleven reintroduced wolves were fatally shot. Despite this, Countering this, Defenders continues to work together with local citizens, ranchers and scientists to achieve FWS's goal of 100 Mexican wolves in the Apache and Gila national forests in Arizona and New Mexico. FWS scientists believe that it will take another 8 to 10 years to meet this goal. Currently, there are only wolves in Arizona and FWS is considering releasing Mexican wolves to Gila National Forest in New Mexico.
Mexican wolves are one of our most endangered native animals.
Like wild wolves elsewhere, Mexican wolves play a critical role in helping bring stability to ecosystems by reducing disruptive fluctuations in prey populations and controlling smaller predator populations. Prevailing science indicates that wolves act to help increase biodiversity. A major advantage of restoring wolves is that they can keep deer, elk and antelope populations within the carrying capacity of the habitat that supports them. Wolves cull weak, old and sick animals from the population. Maintaining such a fundamental ecological processes is the foundation for a balanced, healthy wilderness.