Their near extinction, recovery and ongoing struggle
By Claire MacBride
Once there were 1000’s of Mexican Grey Wolves roaming the American Southwest and Mexico. Prey was abundant and where there was prey and water there were grey wolves.
Mexican Grey Wolves are the smallest of the grey wolf subspecies with large males reaching 80 pounds and females topping off at 60-65 pounds. Their main prey is Coues White Tail Deer, Javelina, Beavers, Rabbits and other small mammals. The best habitat for this prey, and so for them as well, was high elevations and riparian areas.
The arrival of European settlers with large herds of stock soon had an adverse impact on the wolves success. Unrestricted hunting for sport or market decimated the populations of prey available to the wolves and unrestricted grazing of sheep and cattle degraded fragile grasslands and riparian areas further reducing available prey animals. As traditional sources of sustenance decreased the wolves turned their attentions to domestic livestock for survival. In 1915 cattle barons with strong political connections were able to convince government to establish an agency whose mission was the eradication of large predators.
The Endangered Species Act of 1976 narrowly spared the Mexican Grey Wolf from total extinction.
At that time very few grey wolves remained. A famous trapper, +Roy McBride, was hired by US Fish and Wildlife Service to live trap as many wild wolves as possible. Between 1977 and 1980 he trapped 5 wolves, 4 males and 1 pregnant female. Concern over the limited gene pool led to the addition of two captive wolves increasing the founding stock to 7 wolves, 4 males and 3 females. All 600 Mexican Grey Wolves today, both captive and in the wild, can be traced traced back to these original seven.
The most current census count of Mexican Grey Wolves in the wild in New Mexico and Arizona is 284. This is the result of careful captive breeding, genetic monitoring and releases into suitable habitat as well as a foster pup placement program to aid in genetic diversity.
Unfortunately, management and regulation of the Mexican Grey Wolf species survival plan is driven by politics rather than the best science available and could eventually negate the progress that has been made in the recovery of populations. Some of the problems faced by the wolf population today are:
Limited genetic diversity and high incidence of inbreeding leading to genetic defects in the future.
Human caused mortality due to illegal poaching.
Lack of sufficient connected environment where at least 3 different packs could thrive. Currently the political northern boundary for wolf relocation is I-40 in Arizona and New Mexico and if wolves are found north of this boundary they are relocated. Politics does drive policy and state wildlife policies are heavily influenced by hunters and ranchers.
Budget cuts. In today’s political climate it is entirely possible that funds for any wildlife conservancy program could be drastically reduced if not totally discontinued.
For information on how you can help:
www.mexicanwolves.org and watch “The Right to be Wild. A Mexican Grey Wolf Documentary”.
https://rewilding.org The Saga of the Mexican Grey Wolf
The latest quarterly report (ending 9/30/2025) shows a minimum of 27 wolf packs in Arizona and a minimum of 45 packs in New Mexico. A pack is defined as containing 2 or more individuals who maintain a regular territory.
Steady progress is being made in population growth and efforts are ongoing to minimize wolf/human conflict and livestock predation.
Two female Mexican Grey Wolves who are part of the Species Survival Program and who make there home at the Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary here in Prescott.