Wildlife Officials Criticized for Removing Arizona Mexican Wolf Pack
State and federal wildlife officials face backlash from conservation groups following their recent decision to remove the Mañada del Arroyo Mexican wolf pack from its den in southeastern Arizona. The move was made after several confirmed incidents of wolves preying on livestock, as reported by Jim deVos, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Mexican wolf coordinator.
According to deVos, reports of livestock predation began in February, prompting the agency to deploy range-riders to discourage the wolves from attacking cattle amid a severe drought, which limited available prey. Ultimately, the decision to relocate the wolves was made to protect them; an adult female wolf named Llave had reportedly given birth to pups.
In a pre-dawn operation, wildlife officials extracted two pups from the den while a third, found in poor condition, was euthanized. All animals have now been placed in a captive facility in New Mexico, part of the SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Program.
Conservation groups criticize the removal, claiming inflated depredation reports fueled by anti-wolf sentiments, asserting it jeopardizes the recovery of the species. Taylor McKinnon from the Center for Biological Diversity emphasized the importance of maintaining connections between U.S. and Mexican wolf populations.
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