Last month, two members of a federally protected population of Mexican gray wolves were found dead in New Mexico. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, that makes three confirmed deaths of the endangered species in the last two months.
According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the deaths of the two male wolves are under investigation. A third male wolf was found dead several weeks earlier in eastern Arizona. The cause of that animal’s death is also unknown.
Since the Southwestern wolf reintroduction began in 1998 there have been many illegal killings of the animals. Wildlife advocates say wolves are an important part of the ecosystem, but many ranchers claim they’re a threat to human and livestock safety. The federal government does reimburse ranchers for confirmed wolf predations.
The Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area spans more than 4 million acres in eastern Arizona and New Mexico. Currently, the wolf population there includes 59 collared wolves split into 18 packs. Forty pups have been produced by the population so far this year.
