Mexican wolves may have pups
By Tom Jackson King, Managing Editor
Even as four genetics laboratories study the genes of the newly-born
Pipestem Pack pups, seven of the eight free-ranging packs of Mexican gray
wolves are believed to be denning — an indication there could be plenty
of wildborn pups this summer.
Vicki Fox, spokesperson for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said
“Denning is generally determined by daily monitoring efforts during
mid-April to mid-May, which is when Mexican wolves generally give birth.
“If the pack localizes during this time frame, particularly the alpha
female, it is a good indication that she has denned and is tending to
pups. The average litter size is 4 to 6 pups,” Fox said.
Field monitoring reports indicate that a set of fresh pup tracks were
observed for the Saddle Pack in Arizona.
To protect possible newborn pups the USFWS has asked the Apache National
Forest to close a small area around the den sites of the five packs
denning in Arizona. Agency biological technicians are also supplementally
feeding the two packs denning in New Mexico and other packs in Arizona.
That involves putting out deer and elk carcasses until the agency
concludes the alpha pair for each pack is hunting enough to support
newborn pups.
However, rural residents and cattle groups in New Mexico have challenged
whether the agency’s placement of dead deer and elk in the forests for
wolf feeding is contributing to the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease
among herbivores such as deer. Such a disease could spread to humans who
eat contaminated deer or elk meat, according to rural resident Laura
Schneberger.
“At this time, Fish and Wildlife personnel are feeding two wolf packs in
the New Mexico Gila Wilderness and one in Arizona with potentially
infected carcasses,” she said.
“Free and easy carcass transportation and feeding should be curtailed in
areas where the disease will devastate the Southwest’s game resources. The
immediate testing and destruction of all carcasses in FWS freezers
intended for feeding animals used in reintroduction programs is an
absolute necessity,” Schneberger said.
On a different front, Elizabeth Slown of USFWS said there is still no
conclusive result on the parentage of the seven Pipestem Pack pups, one of
which has a light-colored, spotted coat that is not typical of Mexican
gray wolves. The issue of whether one or more pups is a wolf/dog hybrid is
not yet decided.
“We are really curious,” Slown said of the pending results.
Four genetics labs are studying blood taken from the seven pups. Program
manager Brian Kelly has previously said a first set of gene analyses were
“inconclusive,” which is why four different labs are now examining the
lineage of the Pipestem pups.
Slown has said that any pups found to be wolf/dog hybrids would have to be
euthanized, or killed, to prevent cross-breeding with wild-released
wolves.