The alpha female of the Sanctuary pack, the alpha male of the Toklat pack and a pup from the Otter Creek pack died following the March capture. The four deaths are being reviewed by a professional panel selected to review the research program. As part of the Mexican gray wolf reintroduction into New Mexico s Glia Wilderness in March 2000, Defenders of Wildlife hired a Mexican Wolf Guardian to monitor the movements of the Mule and Pipestem packs. The Mexican wolf guardian is a wildlife technician trained to track the movements of the two packs. The program has expanded to cover recent reintroductions in Sheep Saddle, Arizona.
Mexican wolves are the most genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf.
For more than 17 years Mexican wolves had been missing from the wild due to government endorsed hunting bounties. Today, more than 25 wild Mexican wolves inhabit the southwest region of the United States. Below is a recent journal entry from Jason Hawley, Wolf Guardian for Defenders of Wildlife. The last couple of weeks in February, I spent most of my time monitoring the newly released Saddle Pack. Since their release, the pack has been spending most of their time in Cottonwood, Hot Air, and Salthouse Canyons.