In the Press: Mexican government releases 5 wolves south of border, US conservationists hopeful

SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN  Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Five Mexican gray wolves have been released in a mountain range just south of the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an effort to re-establish the species throughout its historic range, the Mexican Environmental Department announced Wednesday.

Supporters of wolf reintroduction in the American Southwest said they hope the release in Mexico will provide a genetic boost to a struggling population of wolves that has been established in New Mexico and Arizona over the past 13 years.

Still, supporters worry that additional fencing along the border or wolf recovery policies established by U.S. wildlife officials could have an impact on the wolves’ success in both countries.

“It’s very good news and we have high hopes,” Michael Robinson of the group Center for Biological Diversity said of the release. “But it’s a very tenuous start and not only events in Mexico but policy decisions in the U.S. could very well undermine it.”

Mexican officials released three female wolves — ages 11, 4 and 3 — and two 3-year-old male wolves in Sonora’s San Luis Mountains last week. The effort was led by the government agency that oversees Mexico’s natural resources and the environment.

The agency said the wolves had gone through rehabilitation in northern Mexico and were fitted with GPS collars so they could be tracked.

The reintroduction has been 20 years in the making. Mexico has established 18 captive-breeding facilities and has more than five dozen wolves.

“The implementation of these programs can gradually expand the population of endangered species, achieving a successful breeding,” the agency said in a statement. “¦

If the wolves released in Mexico cross the border, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they will have the full protection of the federal Endangered Species Act as long as the animals are outside the boundaries of the wolf recovery area that spans southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

If the wolves are found within the recovery area, they will be considered as part of the experimental population — a classification that gives wildlife officials greater flexibility in managing the predators.

Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Tom Buckley said the agency is working on a management plan for monitoring the wolves if they cross into the United States.

The agency is also revamping its own recovery plan for the Mexican gray wolf. Conservationists are expecting the document to address numerous aspects, including the potential for a contiguous population that spans the border.

Buckley said Mexico has not shared any information about the recent release with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

In Mexico, the wolf is one of 30 at-risk species for which the country hopes to implement conservation plans for by 2012.
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PLEASE SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR CELEBRATING THIS IMPORTANT ACCOMPLISHMENT!
Letters can be submitted here.

Tips for your letter:
* Keep it short, no more than two or three paragraphs.
* Start by thanking the paper for their story and tie your letter to the article.
* Write from your own experience, in your own words. Talk about why Mexican wolves are important to you.

* Some talking points you could include are:
      * With only around 50 Mexican gray wolves in the wild, new releases are critically important to increase the size and genetic health of the wild population.
      * Mexico, along with Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas, is part of the Mexican wolf’s historic range.
      * True recovery of these highly endangered wolves requires several populations that have connectivity; this release in Mexico is a critical step towards making this happen.
      * The wolves reintroduced in Mexico should receive full endangered species protections and not be restricted in their movements by arbitrary boundaries.

To read the full article, published in the Columbus, Indiana Republic, click here.

Mexican gray wolf artwork courtesy of Marlene Barrett