Mexican gray wolves released in Apache Forest
By Tom Jackson King, Managing Editor
Four Mexican gray wolves were released Friday morning at a remote site
near Maness Peak in Apache National Forest, about 10 miles south of the
town of Alpine, according to Arizona Game and Fish officials.
The pack, consisting of an alpha male and female and two of their
yearlings, were put in nylon mesh, low-impact acclimation pens by
personnel of AGF and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, AGF spokesman Rory
Aikens said.
The mesh pen is intended to be torn through by the wolves within two weeks
or sooner, he said.
The area of the release is now closed to the public for a one-mile radius
around the release site. The closure remains in effect while the wolves
are in the pen.
Paul Overy, a wolf project field team leader with AGF, said the release
was part of the federal-state partnership to reintroduce up to 100
endangered Mexican gray wolves into the Apache National Forest of Arizona
and the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico.
“A significant feature of this particular pack is that they may be the
most genetically diverse group of wolves released to date,” Overy said.
“They are descended from the Ghost Ranch, McBride and Aragon lineages.
None of these wolves have been released before.”
Overy said wolf numbers in the wild have improved. “Existing packs are
doing well and new packs are forming. We estimate there are approximately
40 animals in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico. Five packs in Arizona
are demonstrating denning behavior, which is to say they appear to be
raising pups. We continue to learn more from wolves in the wild and that
helps us manage them better.”
The number of wolves in the wild is a matter of controversy, with Michael
Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity saying there are only 19
radio-collared wolves that can be counted by radio signals in the
two-state area. He agreed there could be up to 40 wolves if uncollared,
wild-roaming wolves are added to the radio-transmitting numbers.
The June 13 release of wolves reportedly involved extensive communication
with rural residents. Overy said the Maness Peak release site was
coordinated closely with the public, approved by the Forest Service and he
and his field team personally ensured that local residents were notified
of the planned release.
Dan Groebner of the Pinetop AGF office similarly advised interested news
media of the impending release, a change from past practice where wolf
releases weren’t known until after the fact.