Heal It With Kindness: August 2017

, by Unknown

More Wolves, Less Politics

The Mexican Gray Wolf (Also called Lobo) is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. But, there is still a chance to help these animals and save them from extinction. All of the living Mexican gray wolves are descendants of the last breeding survivors of the government’s lethal program, just seven wolves. On the last count, there were 113 wolves in the wild and 249 in captivity. Because the wild population has stagnated over the past several years, the ones born in captivity are considered critical to the survival of the species.

If you want to find out more about these Wolves, visit: The Mexican Gray Wolf

"In the first half of the 20th century, the federal government exterminated virtually all Mexican gray wolves in the United States. This unique line of wolves—which scientists believe was likely the first gray wolf subspecies to cross the Bering Strait into North America many thousands of years ago—was thinned down to fewer than a dozen individuals within just a few decades by the government-sponsored killing."

Because they were pushed so close to extinction, the recovery of the wolves has required intensive human intervention. The Wolf Conservation Center, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other wolf centers and zoos across the United States and Mexico participates in the federal recovery program for the Mexican gray wolf. In order to prevent extinction, they have captured the last known lobos in 1970s and brought them to facilities like the center in Westchester County. The effort launched a captive-breeding program to try to recover the species from those few surviving wolves. Rebecca Bose, curator of the Wolf Conservation Center, once a year joins representatives from other wolf sanctuaries and zoos to play matchmakers for the wolves. The group looks at the genetics of the entire population of both captive and wild lobos before deciding which wolves in captivity should be moved to other facilities in an effort to bolster the population as a whole.

After nearly 20 years of breeding lobos in captivity, in 1998 the Service reintroduced a small population of Mexican gray wolves into eastern Arizona and western New Mexico. Sadly, that didn't change things for the better.

"SINCE THE LOBOS’ REINTRODUCTION, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has continuously caved to state fish and game agencies whose hunting constituents perceive the wolf as an unwelcome competitor for deer and elk. In addition, ranchers, who can receive compensation when wolves kill or injure their livestock and who can kill Mexican gray wolves under certain circumstances, have nevertheless pressured the service to forego or delay necessary conservation measures, claiming that the wolves will wipe out their livestock."

These concerns seem to be unfounded, because data from government agencies show that Mexican gray wolves have had no lasting impact on elk and deer and are responsible for less than 1% of all regional livestock deaths per year. You can read the statements here: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/wolf/documents/130523_FAQ2-MWImpactsonPreyPopulationsinAZThrough2012_000.pdf and Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Revision to the Regulations for the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

"Nevertheless, the service continues to cater to these state interests by creating an arbitrary boundary on the species’ recovery zone and severely limiting the number of captive wolves being released to the wild, which leaves the population to stagnate in its recovery."

Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that 14 wolves were killed, and they have admitted that poaching is a major problem. Scientists have determined that at least 750 wolves in three separate, but connected, populations are needed to prevent their extinction. What these wolves need is a good recovery plan that would serve as a blueprint for the species’ survival. Which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hasn't been able to deliver for more than three decades. That is why Earthjustice has filed a lawsuit to force them to finalize a Mexican gray wolf recovery plan. On June 29, 2017, the service produced a draft, but it is filled with scientific shortcomings that will hinder recovery, which could ultimately lead these animals to extinction in the wild. You can read the plan here: Mexican Wolf Recovery Planning

This plan has some major flaws:

1. Calls for too few wolves over too small an geographic area;

2. Heavy reliance on recovery in Mexico—despite the fact that habitat there is inadequate;

3. Insufficient attention to the genetic threats facing the Mexican gray wolf;

4. Insufficient releases of captive wolves to bolster the genetically weak wild population;

5. Handing over total control of wolf releases to the states which have been actively hostile to recovery of the lobo.

“The captive-breeding program that we operate aims to release wolves into their ancestral homes in the wild, but the success of our efforts requires a legitimate, science-based recovery blueprint that will ensure the survival of these iconic and imperiled wolves. This is not what the Fish and Wildlife Service delivered,” - Maggie Howell, Director of the Wolf Conservation Center.

We NOW have the chance to urge the Service to change the plan and create a truly good one, that will help these animals thrive in the wild and that will bring them back from the brink of extinction. There is only 4 days left!

Until August 29 you can submit your public comment to demand a scientifically-sound recovery plan: SAVE THE LAST MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES FROM EXTINCTION.

To read the full article, visit: The Lobo’s Lament. You can also read the story about Rosa and her family. They are part of the captive-breeding program.

Fore more information and updates regarding the work that the Wolf Conservation Center and Earthjustice does, visit their official website and social media:

Wolf Conservation Center Official site * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Youtube

Earthjustice Official site * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Youtube