By Walter Mares Managing Editor
A Mexican gray wolf recently captured in New Mexico now is at a sanctuary near Phoenix. Officials at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale say the female wolf is in good health, eating well and settling into her new surroundings.
She’s currently being housed alone but does have other Mexican wolves living adjacent to her. At some point, Southwest Wildlife will introduce her to another Mexican wolf so she will have a companion. Officials say the wolf won’t be on display in its nature center.
The center houses 15 other Mexican wolves along with mountain lions, black bears, bobcats and other native mammals that are on display and can be viewed by the public. The Mexican gray wolf was added to the federal endangered species list in 1976. It was brought into the forests of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico in the 1990s. A debate continues among some about whether the wolves were “introduced” or “reintroduced” to this part of Arizona.
Arrival of the wolf brought with it added fear by cattle growers of losing their stock to forest predators. The Greenlee County Board of Supervisors has long been on record in opposition to the move. The safety of children and families in the local forest, the Apache, is one issue of main concern.
The following is a summary of Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project (Project) activities in Arizona on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNF) and Fort Apache Indian Reservation (FAIR) and in New Mexico on the Apache National Forest (ANF) and Gila National Forest (GNF). Nontribal lands involved in this Project are collectively known as the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA).
Additional Project in-formation can be obtained by calling (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653, or by visiting the Arizona Game and Fish Department Web site at www.azgfd.gov/wolf or by visiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site at www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf.
Past updates may be viewed on either Web site, or interested parties may sign up to receive this update electronically by visiting www.azgfd.gov /signup. This update is a public document and information in it can be used for any purpose.
The Reintroduction Project is a multi-agency cooperative effort among the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), USDA Forest Service (USFS), USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS WS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the White Mountain Apache Tribe (WMAT).
To view weekly wolf telemetry flight location information or the three-month wolf distribution map, please visit www. azgfd.gov/wolf. On the home page, go to the “Wolf Location Information” heading on the right side of the page near the top and scroll to the specific location information you seek.
Please report any wolf sightings or suspected livestock depredations to: (928) 339-4329 or toll free at (888) 459-9653. To report incidents of take or harassment of wolves, call the AGFD 24-hour dispatch (Operation Game Thief) at (800) 352-0700.
Numbering System: Mexican wolves are given an identification number recorded in an official studbook that tracks their history. Capital letters (M = Male, F = Female) preceding the number indicate adult animals 24 months or older. Lower-case letters (m = male, f = female) indicate wolves younger than 24 months or pups. The capital letter “A” preceding the letter and number indicates alpha wolves.
Definitions: A “wolf pack” is defined as two or more wolves that maintain an established territory. In the event that one of the two alpha (dominant) wolves dies, the remaining alpha wolf, regardless of pack size, retains the pack status. The packs referenced in this update contain at least one wolf with a radio telemetry collar attached to it. The Interagency Field Team (IFT) recognizes that wolves without radio telemetry collars may also form packs. If the IFT confirms that wolves are associating with each other and are residing within the same home range, they will be referenced as a pack.
Current population
At the end of October 2012, the collared population consisted of 42 wolves with functional radio collars dispersed among 14 packs and one single wolf. Some other uncollared wolves are known to be associating with radio-collared wolves, and others are separate from known packs.
Seasonal note: In October, the IFT continued fall trapping efforts to document pack status and pup recruitment in several packs in the BRWRA. The IFT captured and collared a female pup from the Fox Mountain pack, fp1281. The IFT also trapped and collared an adult wolf, M1287, from the Elk Horn pack. The IFT captured and collared a male pup, mp1282 from the San Mateo pack, as well as three male pups from the Luna Pack, mp1284, mp1285 and mp1286.
Arizona
Bluestem pack (collared AF1042, m1240, mp1275, mp1277 and fp1280):
Throughout October, the IFT located these wolves in their traditional territory in the central portion of the ASNF. At least five pups, two juveniles and one adult, for a total of eight wolves, were observed in the pack this month.
Hawk’s Nest pack (collared AF1208 and m1244):
In October, AF1208 continued to use Hawks Nests traditional territory in the north-central portion of the ASNF; m1244 has been showing signs of dispersing from the pack and has been located separate from AF1208 several times throughout the month. The IFT continued to document AM1038 with AF1208 through visual observations. AM1038 has a nonfunctioning radio collar.
Paradise pack (collared AM795, AF1056, m1243 and m1245):
In October, these wolves were documented using their territory on the northern portion of the ASNF and the FAIR.
Rim pack (collared AM1107 and AF858):
Throughout October, the IFT located the Rim pack utilizing the south-central portion of the ASNF.
ON THE FAIR:
Maverick pack (collared AM1183)
During October, the IFT located this wolf on the FAIR.
Tsay o Ah pack (collared AM1253 and m1254)
During October, the IFT located these wolves on the FAIR.
Mortalities: No wolf mortalities were documented during the month of October.
Incidents: During October, IFT personnel investigated three livestock depredation incidents in the BRWRA.
On Oct. 1, IFT personnel investigated a dead bull calf in Thompson Park, Arizona. They determined the cause of death to be coyotes.
On Oct. 1, IFT personnel investigated a dead cow near Jenkins Creek in New Mexico. The cause of death was unknown.
On Oct. 23, IFT personnel investigated a dead yearling heifer near Carnero Creek in Arizona. They confirmed the yearling was a wolf kill and assigned the depredation to an uncollared wolf.