Who killed the Mexican gray wolf? Feds investigate

By Julie Cart

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the killing of a female Mexican gray wolf that had been denning with pups in New Mexico.

The animal, known as F1108, was found in late June shot to death, authorities said. Her pups were assumed to be dead.

The 6-year-old female was born in the wild, captured with her pack and placed in New Mexico’s Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge.

She and a male were released in May and placed in a temporary pen in the Gila National Forest. The male, known as M1133, left the den site and appeared to be returning to Sevilleta, where he was born, when he was recaptured by wildlife authorities.

The female whelped her pups, but signals from her radio collar indicated that she, too, was on the move. F1108 was found dead some distance from the Gila Wilderness.

Federal authorities provided no further information except to say the case is under investigation.

Endangered species protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes were removed last month, but Mexican wolves were recognized as a sub-species and retain federal protections.

This article was published in the LA Times
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Although we are devastated by the death of AF1108, we stand even stronger in our commitment to restore Mexican wolves to their natural home in the wild.  Wolves belong in the wild, are needed for healthy ecosystems, and it is the right thing to do.

We must continue to keep pressure on the US Fish and Wildlife Service to restore Mexican wolves to the vital role they play in their ancestral home.

Please take this opportunity to submit your comments to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the new proposed rule for Mexican gray wolf management. This proposal is extremely important to the future of Mexican wolves, and in order for this endangered species to recover in the wild, USFWS needs to give these wolves a real chance for recovery by allowing for more direct releases of breeding pairs into additional areas of the southwest. Click here for talking points and contact information.

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