More than 100 Mexican gray wolves are now roaming Arizona and New Mexico, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports — a record high since the federal government began reintroducing the endangered species to the area in 1998.
The Fish and Wildlife Service's annual survey, released February 13, shows at least 109 wolves in the two states, an increase from 83 a year ago. The Mexican wolf is a subspecies of the gray wolf that has been listed as endangered since 1976.
The wolves are grouped into at least 19 packs. Thirty-eight pups survived the winter, up from 17 the previous year.
Officials expect the wolves' numbers to continue growing because their area of protected habitat was recently expanded. That said, challenges remain. Wolf reintroductions are still controversial, and though they are federally protected, several wolves have been shot by hunters or ranchers, sometimes after the wolves attack livestock.
Later this year, we'll feature an extensive Annette McGivney story on Mexican gray wolves in Arizona Highways.
Photo: A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crew transports a cross-fostered Mexican gray wolf via helicopter. | Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service