Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Time is running out in Tucson to find El Lobo silhouettes like this one for a chance to win cool prizes, including an Apache Wilderness Adventure in wolf country.

Hey Tucson, we just wanted to remind you that this will be the last two days to get out there and search for the 50 wily lobos that are currently hiding around your city!

The Tucson lobos, displayed on the outside of buildings all over the city, represent the 50 wolves now living in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico. They could also be your ticket to winning the Grand Prize—an Apache Wilderness Journey for two, a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in Apache culture and a chance to see Mexican wolves in the wild—valued at  $3,000.

There are many other prizes tied to how many wolves you find, and you can get hints and more information at www.whereslobo.org. The more you find, the better your chance of winning! You can also find daily hints for lobo locations on the Defenders Facebook page.

Find as many lobos as you can and then send in your form by email before Sept. 17, 2011, 11:59 PM Mountain Time (“MT”) or by postal mail, postmarked by Sept. 19, 2011.

Thanks for helping us welcome Mexican wolves back to Tucson and the Southwest!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a time before television, smart phones, traffic, deadlines and all the other pressures of modern life—to slow down and experience a deeper connection to the world around you?

Here’s your chance. The White Mountain Apache Tribe is now offering a unique culture, wildlife and wilderness tour that will take you on a 6-day/5-night journey into the heart of the Southwest and on a mission to see the rarest wolf in North America—el lobo, or the Mexican gray wolf—in the wild.

A chance to see the endangered Mexican gray wolf in the wild is a highlight of the trip.

Join Apache guides on expeditions into the Tribe’s remote, lush forests for a chance to hear or see endangered lobos and learn about efforts to restore other imperiled wildlife such as Mexican spotted owls and Apache trout.

• Experience firsthand the Apache way of life through crafts, storytelling and traditional meals (vegetarian options available)
• Sleep safely and comfortably in furnished cabins
• Gain insight into centuries-old traditional ceremonies
• Connect with wildlife through Apache culture and help save something wild

Checkout Defenders editor Heidi Ridgely’s first-hand account of the tours in our latest issue.

Sign Up Today

Sign up today and learn more at Naturalist Journeys! The tours are filling up fast. The Apache have scheduled only two trips this year, and there are just a handful of seats left open for the Jun. 5-10 expedition.

Ranked by National Geographic Adventure in the top 25 of adventure-travel companies, Naturalist Journeys, the Arizona-based travel and conservation-oriented tour operator, is helping to coordinate registration for the trip and is on hand to answer any logistical questions you potential explorers may have.

Learn more about Defenders’ work with the White Mountain Apache and Mexican gray wolves.

El lobo, or the Mexican gray wolf, could lose Endangered Species Act protections along with other wolf populations across the country.

Defenders’ Wildlife Hero and lobo activist, Jean Ossorio, says in an interview with KRWG news in New Mexico that lifting federal protections for the last 42 or so Mexican wolves left in the wild could jeopardize recovery, leaving los lobos “at the mercy of local politicians who may or may not have their best interest at heart.”

What Defenders Is Doing

We’re working on many fronts to ensure the recovery of wolves nationwide, and to ensure the recovery of Mexican wolves in the Southwest US and in Mexico. We work with ranchers, educators, the public, biologists and agencies to build support for wolf recovery.

Learn more>>

How You Can Help

Visit our Wildlife Action Center to find out how you can help.