23
May
URGENT: Stop the US Fish and Wildlife Service from Trapping Wolves in New Mexico
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to trap an endangered Mexican gray wolf living in the wild in New Mexico and put him in a pen, likely forever, as soon as his mate gives birth to their first litter of pups together. She could whelp any day now, if she hasn’t already.
Those pups may only know their father, affectionately named Guardian by a young student, for a few days or weeks before he disappears. Notwithstanding human efforts to support the wolf mom and keep the pups alive, they will have a lower chance of survival without their dad. With Mexican wolf numbers in decline, the Fish and Wildlife Service should be releasing captive wolves into the wild as recommended by scientists, not taking them out contrary to scientific guidelines.
Please call the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Secretary of the Interior and insist that the wolf-removal order be rescinded and that the father of this wolf family be allowed to stay in the wild. (The wolf’s official identity is M1396.)
Those pups may only know their father, affectionately named Guardian by a young student, for a few days or weeks before he disappears. Notwithstanding human efforts to support the wolf mom and keep the pups alive, they will have a lower chance of survival without their dad. With Mexican wolf numbers in decline, the Fish and Wildlife Service should be releasing captive wolves into the wild as recommended by scientists, not taking them out contrary to scientific guidelines.
Please call the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Secretary of the Interior and insist that the wolf-removal order be rescinded and that the father of this wolf family be allowed to stay in the wild. (The wolf’s official identity is M1396.)
Tell them that trapping critically endangered animals over livestock depredations is unacceptable.
USFWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator Sherry Barrett: 505-761-4748, sherry_barrett@fws.gov
USFWS Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle: RDTuggle@fws.gov
USFWS Director Dan Ashe: 202-208-4717, dan_ashe@fws.gov
U.S. Senators (particularly important if you live in New Mexico): 202-224-3121
New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall – 202-224-6621 or 505-346-6791
New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich – 202-244-5521 or 505-346-6601
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Your calls make a difference. Please call the USFWS and your members of congress.
Here are three key points to make when you call:
1. These wolves should be left in the wild.
The Mexican Gray Wolf population is in genetic crisis due to a lack of releases and removals from the wild in the past. Until the population and the genetic diversity increases substantially, no removals should be contemplated or allowed.
2. Removing or killing critically endangered Mexican gray wolves is not the solution to livestock conflicts.
There are many solutions to conflicts between livestock and wolves. There are very few Mexican gray wolves. Livestock businesses on public lands are reimbursed for losses and can receive government and non-profit assistance for non-lethal measures to avoid depredation. They have a responsibility to do so. Deterrents to livestock conflicts are the solution, not removing more endangered Mexican wolves.
3. The US Fish and Wildlife Service should release many more wolves, not remove them.
At last count, just 97 wolves survive in the wild. If the USFWS is truly concerned about the growth of the population and its genetic health, the answer is more releases of captive wolves, not more wild wolves placed in captivity. Instead of removing this pair of wolves, the Service needs to focus on expediting releases of many more wolves from captivity to strengthen the wild population.
