Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO

Defenders’ president and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark

Anniversaries are often a time for balloons and confetti. Sometimes, though, it takes an anniversary to remind us of a bigger picture and more important message. On March 29, we mark the 15th anniversary of the initial release of Mexican gray wolves from captivity into the wilds of the American southwest. Before you cheer this victory and marvel at how fast time goes by, realize that celebration may be a bit premature. Mexican gray wolves will be in a lot of trouble soon if things don’t change.

In 1998, while serving as the director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I was privileged to help release the first group of Mexican gray wolves back into the wild in Arizona. These wolves (lobos, as they are affectionately known) were on the brink of extinction in the mid-1970s. But thanks largely to the work of scientists overseeing captive breeding programs, we were able to release 11 lobos into the Apache National Forest of Arizona.

It was the first time in three decades that wolves roamed wild again in that state. Being there to see the wolves take their first steps into the wild was an unforgettable and moving experience, one that I will carry with me forever. Since then, Defenders of Wildlife and other organizations have worked closely with federal and state wildlife agencies, tribes and local communities to help people coexist with wolves and protect this most endangered creature.

Jamie (left) and former Arizona governor Bruce Babbit (right) carry a mexican wolf to the release site. (©Hans Stuart)

Thanks to these efforts, 75 Mexican gray wolves were recorded in the wild last year. A climb from 11 to 75 is clearly nothing to sneer at, but an underlying crisis warrants placing a big, bold asterisk next to that tally.

All of the Mexican gray wolves in the world today are descended from just seven wolves that began the captive breeding program. Such a limited genetic heritage leaves the lobos with smaller litters of pups, increased susceptibility to disease, and less adaptability to changing conditions. And only three breeding pairs remained in the wild in 2012, further hampering the likelihood of producing offspring. Over the long term, these wolves’ very survival is at risk.

All of this points to a perfect storm of trouble for the beleaguered Mexican gray wolves that will only get worse in the next few years. These wolves have remarkable resiliency, but they can’t do it all alone. They need our help, and this 15th anniversary marks the perfect time to help give them the ultimate anniversary present: a better chance of survival in the wild.

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to implement a three-point emergency rescue plan for Mexican gray wolves in order to assure their long-term survival:

• Release more wolves from captivity as the first step in a science-based genetic rescue plan.
• Complete the Mexican gray wolf recovery plan, and implement it.
• Move ahead as quickly as possible to establish at least two additional populations of Mexican gray wolves in the wild.

Captive Mexican gray wolf and pup (©Joel Sartore)

There’s a silver lining here. There are about 300 Mexican gray wolves in captivity at zoos and breeding centers, many of which have yet to breed. If we want to be able to celebrate many more anniversaries of the date of their original release, the Service needs to repeat its actions from 15 years ago by releasing more of these wolves from captivity into the wild.

Mexican gray wolves are an icon of the American southwest. They are near and dear to my heart as well as the heart of many who have invested time and energy into their recovery. The 15th anniversary is an important time to reflect on how far these wolves have come, to be sure. But let’s not just stand by and watch the inevitable decline start to happen. Now is the time to act.

This post also appeared on the Huffington Post.

Click here to take action and urge the USFWS to make Mexican gray wolf recovery a priority!

Eva Sargent, Southwest Program Director

A member of the first pack of wolves released into the Apache National Forest. (c) ADFG

This Friday will be the 15th anniversary of the day U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staffers braved a blizzard to release the first group of captive bred Mexican gray wolves – also called “lobos” – into the wild. The wolves had been waiting in pens in the Apache National Forest in Arizona, the first of their kind in the wilds of the Southwest in decades. Now, 15 years later, there are 75 wild Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico, and a handful in Mexico. That’s something to celebrate – part miracle, part Endangered Species Act triumph. An animal that was completely extinct in the wild, with only seven “founder” wolves as breeding stock to save it, is back and howling and having pups and strengthening the natural systems that sustain everything, humans included.

If you live in the Southwest, we have opportunities to celebrate in Flagstaff and Pinetop, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Of course, some people will prefer to sob: there are not enough lobos in the wild; they need to overcome genetic problems; and they are confined to one population in one area of the Southwest. The slow turn of the Mexican gray wolf as it tries to step back from edge of extinction is agonizing to watch. Will the rarest wolf in the world teeter and fall? As someone who lives lobo recovery and politics every day, I can’t just sit around and sob. I need to act, and I need you with me.

Captive Mexican gray wolf (c) Don Burkett

Saving the Mexican gray wolf is all about dedication and political will. There’s not much mystery left about what needs to be done. It has been spelled out in various published scientific papers, in the Service’s own program reviews and their Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment, and during previous attempts to update the recovery plan. The current recovery team’s scientists have worked it out again, and more rigorously than ever.

In honor of this 15th anniversary of lobos returning to the Southwest, Defenders is calling on the Fish and Wildlife Service to do what needs to be done. In order to back the wolves away from the precipice of extinction and get them headed toward recovery, the Service must:

1. Release more wolves from captivity as the first step in a science-based genetic rescue plan;
2. Complete the recovery plan, and implement it; and
3. Move ahead as quickly as possible to establish at least two additional populations of Mexican gray wolves.

Some of these steps are long and complex, and some are relatively easy. The Service has been promising and trying for years to release more wolves. They are stymied by their own out-of-date rule that prohibits wolves straight from captivity from being released in New Mexico, and by their continued deference to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, which has appointed itself gatekeeper over wolf releases while supporting removing all wolves, including our 75 Mexican gray wolves, from the Endangered Species List.

(c) Jim Clark, USFWS

The Service needs to wait for no one to finish the recovery plan; not only is it entirely under their direction, it is also required by the Endangered Species Act. They are currently engaged in their third attempt to update the 1982 plan; the last two attempts were abandoned at about the point when it became clear that the best science said that Mexican wolves will not survive without many more wolves in several populations. The current recovery team has not met in over a year, although the scientists keep compiling ever stronger evidence that Mexican wolves need many more wolves in several populations in order to survive.

These new populations will take years to establish. Once the recovery plan is completed, the Service will need to consult with the state agencies (which are already represented on the recovery team), and the public, and there will be plenty of discussion about where exactly to reintroduce wolves, and where they might wander from there. There will be ample time for public input and fine tuning, but the time to start all of this is now. The Service must realize that those who are afraid of wolves are already mounting an opposition to the expansion of Mexican wolves anywhere, despite strong public support for wolf recovery in the region.

Mexican gray wolves have no time to waste. They need their stewards to overcome obstacles, ignore those whose entrenched opposition they will never overcome and do what needs to be done to assure their recovery. What the Service does or doesn’t do now will determine whether it is possible for the Mexican gray wolf to recover. That’s what makes this anniversary a cause for both celebration and action.

Help us tell the USFWS that now, as we come up on 15 years of lobos back in the wild, is the time to take action to ensure their future.  If you’re on Facebook or Twitter, sign up for our Thunderclap and you’ll be able to help us spread the word in a big way! Through the Thunderclap, we’ll all be able to send the exact same message at the exact same time: at noon on March 29th. Together, we’ll cut through all the noise and take a stand for Mexican gray wolves – before it’s too late.

Gibbon pack in Yellowstone. Photo courtesy of U.S. National Park Service.

More wolf kill bills on the way in the West – Western state legislators are stepping up their efforts to ensure that more wolves get killed. Montana is considering giving away free wolf tags to elk and deer hunters and allowing silencers to be used on rifles late in the season. The state legislature is also fast-tracking a three-pronged bill that would (1) prohibit  wolf hunting and trapping buffer zones around Yellowstone and other national parks, (2) increase the number of wolves an individual can kill, and (3) permit the use of electronic calls. Meanwhile, Washington state ranchers are supporting a bill that would allow any private landowner to kill wolves or other predators at will without permission or oversight from state wildlife managers. Only Oregon is moving forward with responsible legislation that provides more emphasis on nonlethal strategies to prevent conflicts between wolf and livestock .

Good news, bad news for Mexican wolves – The good news is that the overall number of wolves counted in New Mexico and Arizona climbed to 75 this year – the highest total in 15 years and a big improvement over last year’s count of 58. At least 20 new pups were born and survived through the end of the year, and 13 different packs were identified. The bad news is that there are only three breeding pairs.  The lobos are facing a genetic crisis that puts their recovery at risk. That’s why Defenders continues to call for the release of additional wolves, as a first step toward genetic rescue of this rare subspecies. Listen to what Arizona State University biology professor Philip Hedrick had to say about the latest numbers on PNS radio:

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Wolves alone can’t restore ecosystem — By now, most wildlife enthusiasts understand the important role that wolves play in dispersing elk and deer herds away from young aspens, cottonwood and willow trees.  However, nature is a complex system and the interdependence of multiple species is vital to sustaining a healthy ecosystem.  Researchers at Colorado State University found that restoring wolves alone cannot fix all the damage that occurred due to the loss of wolves and that beaver are necessary to help restore the water tables and plants that are the foundation for biodiversity.  The researchers conclude that predators should never be eliminated from their habitat because of the significant impacts that follow their loss.

For the young (or young at heart) who want to have some fun and learn more about the role of wolves in Yellowstone, check out this episode of “Fetch” from PBS Kids.  An interview with Doug Smith, the park’s lead wolf biologist, starts at the 6 minute mark.

The Hidden Life of Wolves – Want to get up-close and personal with a wolf pack in the comfort of your own home? Check out a new book from National Geographic, documenting the lives of wolves in central Idaho.

Eva Sargent, Southwest Program Director

Mexican Wolf (Credit: USFWS/Jim Clark)

The official annual count of Mexican gray wolves – also called lobos – is in!  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finished counting the wolves, but the wolves are still counting on the Service to save them from extinction.

First, the good news:  The population of wild Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico increased from 58 last year to 75 now.   But there are still only three breeding pairs.  The lobos are doing their best to survive – finding each other, chasing elk, avoiding lawbreakers who would kill them just for being wolves, and having pups.   They are inching, year by year, closer to their rightful place in the landscape and culture of the Southwest.  But the truth is, they may not make it.  They came through a tremendous genetic crisis in the past, when the last wild female Mexican wolf in the entire world was brought into captivity to literally save her kind.  This limited genetic heritage, which I wrote about a few weeks ago, continues to haunt the lobos today.  Because they are all closely related, they don’t have a large number of different traits carried in their genes. A high amount of genetic diversity is key to survival – it allows populations to change their biology when conditions change.

So although more wolves is cause for celebration, more pups from the same few breeding pairs won’t be enough to solve the genetic crisis.  In order to express every bit of their genetic potential, the wolves needed to expand their population in the wild years ago.  This opportunity was missed, over and over, when genetically valuable animals were sent back to captivity or killed, when packs were disrupted by being captured and moved, and when too few animals were released.  Now, it will take heroic efforts, probably including extreme steps like in vitro fertilization using stored semen or eggs from wolves that died years ago, to try to improve the genetic future for Mexican gray wolves. The Service needs to get moving on this genetic emergency immediately.  The first step is to release more wolves.

Releasing more wolves is a little more difficult than it sounds, but the Service has the authority, means, and responsibility to get this done in a hurry. Only two wolves have been released from captivity since 2006. One of these was illegally shot, and the other was returned to captivity the other day to give him a better chance at pairing with a female.  The Service needs to get this new pair out in the wild as quickly as possible, and immediately get many more wolves warming up in the bullpen, ready to go, because the current slow dribble of new genes into the wild isn’t enough. The Service must assert its authority and do what needs to be done for the wolves’ sake. What the Service does now will determine whether or not our lobos can survive and recover.

When Mexican wolves need help, Defenders turns up the heat on decision makers. We count on you – who understand the importance of lobos in the big scheme of Nature – to help us pressure those in power to do the right thing.  Please make sure you are getting Defenders e-alerts!  That way I can let you know quickly when your emails, meeting attendance, phone calls, petition signing or letter writing can really make a difference.  In March, we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the first release of captive-born Mexican gray wolves into the wild.  There will be plenty to do to make sure the lobos are not just surviving, but thriving.  I hope you will join me in this fight.

Eva Sargent, Southwest Program Director

Mexican gray wolves, according to science and common sense, are the most endangered wolf in the world.  We should have a new count in a couple of weeks, but last year there were fewer than 60 wild Mexican wolves in the entire world.  They are all offspring of the emergency captive breeding effort that saved the species from extinction – an Endangered Species Act miracle, really.  But what’s happened since then, since the first captive-bred Mexican gray wolves put their paws on the wild ground in 1998, is more frustrating.

Mexican gray wolf

Because the entire population is derived from only seven wolves (a brush with extinction that no critters should come close to), they didn’t have a great deal of genetic diversity. That is, they didn’t have a large number of different traits carried in their genes. A high amount of genetic diversity is the engine of adaptability – it allows populations to change their biology when conditions change, and that’s key to survival. The captive population has been carefully managed to preserve genetic diversity, but this only goes so far. From the beginning, geneticists knew that in order to overcome their limited genetic heritage, the Mexican gray wolves would need to rapidly expand their numbers beyond what was possible in captivity. They needed to get out of the zoos that had taken such care to save them and really take off in the wild.  By reproducing quickly in the wild, they would express every ounce of genetic diversity they had in their genes.  The wolves did their part immediately – pairing up, denning up, eating elk and having puppies.

Unfortunately, humans haven’t held up their part of the deal, and the population has never expanded fast enough to preserve their genetic diversity.  Overzealous management and a lack of political will have kept the numbers low. Now, nearly 15 years after the first wolves were released, the Mexican gray wolf is facing a genetic emergency that could keep them from ever recovering. Already, it  seems that a lack of genetic diversity is causing lower litter sizes. If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn’t act soon to release more wolves, this and other effects of a small gene pool could doom the species, no matter how hard we try in the future to recover them.

Many opportunities to improve the genetics of Mexican gray wolves have been squandered.  Instead of supporting stable, reproducing packs, wolves are captured and moved around because they get into trouble, or cross the invisible boundaries of their small recovery area in eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.  Until recently, many were sent back to captivity, and some were killed, for eating livestock.  These removals were indiscriminate – it didn’t matter if the suspected cattle-eater was a mom with pups, or a genetically valuable dad. With the future of the species relying on so few individuals in the wild, we – joined by several other conservation groups – went to court over this issue, and as part of the settlement, this disastrous removal policy was ended. But its effects linger – there are still too few wolves, and too few with the best genes to keep the species on the road to recovery.

There are other pressures too; despite their protected status, illegal killing is the largest source of dead wolves.  But the window is closing on fixing the genetic issue, and one solution is amazingly simple: Release more wolves from captivity, and do it now.

Mexican gray wolf

The last time a wolf from captivity was released was in 2008.  Since then, there have been roadblocks and reasons and excuses, but no one has demonstrated the gumption necessary to get the job done. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is responsible for recovering Mexican gray wolves, has waited with an absurd amount of patience for agreement from the states before acting, and all at the wolves’ expense.  Opportunities have been lost, and they won’t be regained.  Finally, last week, they decided to release a single male wolf in hopes that he will pair with a female of the Bluestem pack, whose mate was illegally shot and killed last year.

Of course all of us who work on Mexican gray wolf recovery are grateful for this small step in the right direction, and we hope this new male gets right down to business saving the species. But much more needs to be done, and soon, or it will be too late.  The geneticists who have spent years sounding the alarm haven’t stopped, and Defenders won’t stop, until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements an emergency genetic rescue plan for the Mexican gray wolf. Such a plan would entail selective breeding in captivity, perhaps even using in vitro fertilization, to recreate the genetic makeup of the founding wolves. Still, one of the easiest steps this plan would include is to release more wolves into the wild. We’ll keep you posted on our progress with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Meanwhile, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for an increase in the 2012 count, due in a few weeks.  More wolves from the same old breeding pairs won’t solve the genetic issue, but it will improve the outlook for the most endangered wolf on the planet.

Craig Miller, Southwest Representative

One of the most interesting aspects of my job as Southwest Representative for Defenders of Wildlife is our collaborative work with the White Mountain Apache Tribe, focused on helping endangered Mexican gray wolves return to the landscape. What I’ve learned from working closely with tribal biologists, elders and Apache cowboys is that a much deeper connection between Apache people and the land is what drives their efforts to restore Mexican wolves, as well as Apache trout, Mexican spotted owls and the mountains, forests, lakes and streams that make up their home. In Apache, the word Shii ne’ means both mind and land — they are one and the same. To traditional Apaches, restoring wolves and taking care of the land is about much more than just preventing extinction or achieving sustainable use of resources. It is about restoring and maintaining harmony between mind and land.

These tribal lands are in the perfect place to help support Mexican wolf recovery by providing a vital link between two recovery areas.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe welcomes wolves onto its 1.6 million acres, known as the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Apache lands are comprised of mostly excellent wolf habitat and are considered the crown jewel of Arizona’s Central Highlands. Apache tribal land is largely undeveloped, and includes much of the largest contiguous Ponderosa pine forest in the world, which spans 400 miles from the Grand Canyon in Arizona to the Gila country in New Mexico. This wild landscape lies immediately adjacent to the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, where an effort to return highly endangered Mexican wolves to the wild is currently underway. Because of its location between the current wolf recovery area and excellent wolf habitat further to the west in the Grand Canyon eco-region, tribal lands will play a pivotal role in Mexican gray wolf recovery. This species was eradicated by 1980, but saved by the Endangered Species Act, a captive breeding program and subsequent reintroduction into the wild. As of last year’s population count, there were only 58 documented Mexican wolves in the wild, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the species to be the most endangered land mammal in North America.

“The Apache People respect every creature on the land; the mighty Creator has them here for a purpose. That’s why we want to bring the Mexican wolf back to its home, which is White Mountain Apache land.” – Krista Beazley, White Mountain Apache Tribal Member

To help support the tribe’s wolf program, Defenders has provided equipment and training to tribal wildlife staff. Defenders’ members and supporters — through the Wildlife Volunteer Corps — have also helped out, rolling up their sleeves alongside tribal members to help them prepare to host wolf-themed tours. These culture and wildlife tours are a reflection of the White Mountain Apache’s leadership in the wolf recovery program. They also help bring much-needed tourist dollars to create jobs, foster skills and talents and bring those that revere the wolf to a place where wolves and people may learn to live in harmony once again.

Apache crown dancers

This summer, the White Mountain Apache Tribe hosted a special event on tribal lands as part of the Paseo del Lobo (Path of the Wolf) 400-mile community wolf-awareness relay hike across Arizona. Paseo del Lobo, organized by the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project and co-sponsored by Defenders, emphasized the importance of wolf recovery and the connectivity of the landscape through organized hikes and community events along the path that two Mexican wolves — members of a wild population reestablished through introduction — took as they dispersed from the current wolf recovery area and moved into suitable wolf habitat near Flagstaff, Arizona. During the White Mountain Apache events, participants were welcomed by the tribe at a camp in a beautiful aspen forest on Sunrise Mountain, where we enjoyed traditional storytelling, fireside crown dancers, bow-making/flint-napping, medicinal plant use demonstrations, frybread making, traditional meals, horseback riding and interaction with elders and the tribe’s wolf management team. While the tribe considers all information regarding endangered species on tribal lands to be sensitive, Paseo del Lobo participants were treated to stories of the three wolf packs that live on tribal lands: Maverick, Tsay o Ah and Paradise.

I don’t want to paint the picture that Mexican wolf recovery on tribal lands is without conflict or concern. Tribal guides have concerns about the potential impact of wolves on elk, and how a growing wolf population may impact hunting opportunities, which are another significant source of funding and jobs for the tribe. Similarly, the tribe’s livestock associations graze cattle in wolf-occupied areas, and have experienced some losses to wolves. For the past 10 years, we have been working with the tribe on livestock compensation and wolf-monitoring. More recently, we’ve developed range-rider and grazing programs to reduce conflicts between wolves and cattle. Based on our successful coexistence work with ranchers in other wolf-occupied areas, these partnerships offer much hope for the future of wolves, and for those ranchers working to assist with their return.

An Apache cowboy sets a motion sensor camera to monitor wolves as part of an effort to avoid wolf-livestock conflicts.

This summer, members of the Turkey Creek Livestock Association joined me at a range-rider workshop in Reserve, New Mexico to learn about the latest tools and techniques for conflict avoidance. After the workshop, we developed a plan to help minimize wolf interactions with livestock. As part of this, Defenders provided hay and materials to assist with herding cattle and diversionary feeding, to draw livestock away from areas where they could be more vulnerable to wolf depredations. Defenders also provided motion-sensor cameras to the livestock association, and I spent time in the field with tribal wolf technicians and cowboys demonstrating how to use them as a non-invasive way to monitor wolves. The camera-monitoring project is an efficient way to learn where the wolves are spending their time, which can help guide livestock management. I am currently working with the tribe to turn this monitoring project into an incentive program that rewards the tribal livestock associations with payment for each photo of a wolf. These funds can, in turn, be used by the associations to purchase tack and other tools, and we’re hopeful that the payments based on wolves presence will encourage tolerance for a growing wolf population.

Through my work with the White Mountain Apache I’ve made many friends who have generously shared their views of the world with me. I see the Apache’s Shii ne‘ — mind-land harmony — as one of the most beautiful and important things in this life, and it is an honor to be part of an effort to restore wolves to the landscape in a way that promotes coexistence between humans and nature, and helps us return to that all-too-elusive harmony.