MEXICAN GRAY WOLF ENDANGERED
The New Mexico Game Commission is holding public hearings on the management of the Mexican gray wolf. Conservationists hope to persuade the Commission to endorse the recommendations of a committee of scientists who advised reform of the wolf reintroduction program almost three years ago. The recommendations have been ignored by federal officials.
On behalf of the livestock industry, between 1915 and the 1960s, the U/. S. Fish and Wildlife Service poisoned and trapped Mexican gray wolves, reducing their population to near extinction in the United States and Mexico.
After passage of the Endangered Species Act the last five wolves known to exist in Mexico were captured for an emergency captive breeding program.
In March 1998, in response to a lawsuit against the Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency began reintroducing Mexican gray wolves in the Gila and Apache National Forests.
Because of opposition by the New Mexico Game Commission and the livestock industry the Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to remove or kill wolves that set up territories outside the two National Forests – even if they were on other public land.
The agency doesnýt have such strict rules confining any other endangered animal in the United States. For example, in the northern Rocky Mountains wolves can roam freely unless they cause a problem.
In June 2001 the Fish and Wildlife Service contracted with the University of Calgaryýs Dr. Paul C, Paquet, a world renowned carnivore expert, and four independent biologists, to study the situation. Their 86-page report recommended that wolves be allowed to roam like other wildlife and that ranchers be asked to clean up carcasses of cattle that die of other causes before wolves eat them and become habituated.
Dr. Paquet and colleagues warned that if their recommendations werenýt followed the wolf population had a 39% chance of declining instead of increasing.
At 11 public hearings held by the Fish and Wildlife Service, 9 of them in rural areas, ,most comments supported the scientistýs recommendations.
In September 2002 the Arizona and New Mexico Game and Fish departments sent a joint letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service supporting the Paquet groupýs scientific validity.
However the Fish and Wildlife Service hasnýt implemented the Pacquet reportýs recommendations by changing the rules governing wolf management. Its inaction has been devastating. When the report was released almost three years ago there were 27 radio-collared and monitored wolves in the wild. Today only 21 remain. An unknown number of uncollared wolves remain, but the only objective index indicates wold population has declined despite capture of of wild-born wolves and fitting them with collars.
The number of known wolves is declining, largely because of federal ýcontrolý actions precipitated by wolves leaving the recovery area or preying on livestock, usually after preying on dead cattle. Capture attempts have caused the accidental deaths of 9 wolves. Others have been injured. One was shot by a member of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Illegal shootings and vehicular hit-and-run incidents have caused added deaths, Some ranchers have publicly threatened to kill wolves, despite compromises made to meet their objections. Also, non-profit Defenders of Wildlife compensated ranchers for livestock killed by wolves.
The deadly effects of control action and individual killings is illustrated by the fate of the Francisco Pack. This seven-member family was captured last year because it had left the recovery area. Five of their wild-conceived pups, born in captivity, died of stress caused by the noise of construction machinery near their pen. The survivors were released but didnýt stay together. Two seem to have been hit by cars. One was probably killed by a poacher. Had they been left in their largely-roadless home range and safe from people, eight more wolves would probably be alive today.
Conservationists are urging citizens to ask New Mexicoýs governor and the Commission for New Mexico to support the recommendations of the Paquet report and to use their influence to ensure the Fish and Wildlife Service changes its rules published in the Federal Register so they donýt require the capture of wolves that roam outside of political boundaries and to ensure that wolves scavenging on dead livestock arenýt subsequently ýcontrolledý when they then turn to killing livestock.