By Al Jones
BATTLE CREEK, MI – The last of a pack of Mexican gray wolves is gone from Binder Park Zoo.
The zoo announced Wednesday that “Phoenix,” the last of eight wolf pups born at the zoo in 2002, was humanely euthanized on Sept. 19. That was necessitated by deteriorating health issues relating to his advanced age, according to zoo officials.
Phoenix was 14 year old. The median life expectancy of a Mexican wolf is 11 years, according to information provided by the zoo.
Of the eight wolf pups that included Phoenix, four females were relocated to live at other accredited facilities, and the others, all males, lived out their lives at Binder Park Zoo.
Mexican gray wolves are considered the most highly endangered subspecies of gray wolf. According to information provided by Binder ParK Zoo, there are only about 350 left in the world and only 50 living in the wild.
They were once common in the Southwest United States and Northern Mexico, but were nearly eradicated by ranchers who feared they were a threat to cattle. A Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan enacted more than 20 years ago has been credited with helping to bring this species back from the brink of extinction.
Managed through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Species Survival Plan monitors the Mexican wolf population “and works to build a healthy and viable captive population of wolves,” according to information provided by the zoo.
“In 1998 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a female wolf born at Binder Park Zoo into the wild,” the zoo stated in a press release. “This was a very significant conservation accomplishment as this was the first Mexican wolf ever to give birth to pups in the wild in over 50 years.”
In its release, zoo officials also stated “While the zoo mourns the loss of their Mexican wolves, their ongoing legacy gives hope. Through research conducted at the St. Louis Zoo in conjunction with AZA, USFWS and the Mexican Gray Wolf SSP, the wolves born at Binder Park Zoo could one day, long after their deaths, contribute to the Mexican wolf population.”
It said the zoo expects to be home to more wolves in the future.
Opened in 1975 outside of Battle Creek, Binder Park Zoo is a growing zoo that utilizes 433 acres of natural forests and wetlands as a home for approximately 600 animals, including more than 139 species.
The conservation-focused facility is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It attracts more than 225,000 visitors per year.