Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project News

The wild population of Mexican gray wolves in the US has increased to a minimum of 286. Conservation groups point to the lack of genetic diversity as a long-term threat to the species, while recognizing lobos are more immediately threatened by potential budget cuts to the program.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department paint a rosy picture of wolf recovery despite recovery failures in Mexico and fairly limited successes in the US.

Advocates are wishing the best for all the pups and their new adoptive families but caution that the over-reliance on fostering is resulting in a rapidly closing window for genetic rescue of Mexican wolves as the population grows and it gets harder to increase gene diversity.