For immediate release: April 21, 2025
Media contacts:
Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project (520)623-1878; greta@westernwatersheds.org
Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center (914)763-2373; regan@nywolf.org
Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club – Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter, (602) 253-8633, sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org
Nico Lorenzen, Wild Arizona (520) 289-0147, nico@wildarizona.org
Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, (505) 395-6177; csmith@wildearthguardians.org
Erin Hunt, Lobos of the Southwest (928) 421-0187, erin@mexicanwolves.org
Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project (928) 202-1325, claire@gcwolfrecovery.org
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The government “mistakenly” killed the collared and presumed pregnant breeding female of the Bear Canyon Mexican gray wolf pack in Arizona last week. She was lethally killed pursuant to a removal order issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an uncollared wolf from the pack, due to ongoing livestock depredations on public land. The wolf, AF 1823, was named Asiza by schoolchildren and was seven years old.
“It’s outrageous that our government is authorizing wolves to be killed for preying on livestock on public lands, full stop,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “But the fact that they killed a collared mother wolf ‘by accident’ is completely unacceptable. Wildlife professionals should be trained to know what they are targeting, especially when it comes to a highly imperiled species. We demand a full investigation and criminal charges for negligence if appropriate.”
The April 4, 2025 removal order authorized Wildlife Services to kill an uncollared wolf from the Bear Canyon Pack and specifically noted that it was not their intent to “remove the breeding female … who will likely whelp a new litter of pups soon.” However, on April 14, 2025, exactly that event occurred.
“At a time in which federal agencies’ purview and capacity to protect and conserve endangered wildlife is threatened, we in the conservation community stand behind the agencies’ mandate to protect wildlife.” said Nico Lorenzen, wildlife associate of Wild Arizona. “That said, there is a standard that these agencies must maintain in their practice, as with any profession. The mistaken killing of Asiza, wolf AF 1823, is brazen harm to a breeding female of critical importance to Mexican gray wolf recovery and should be further investigated.”
“The killing of Asiza is extremely upsetting, both for her family and for lobo supporters across the country. Her death endangers the Bear Canyon pack’s survival; research shows that killing a breeding female can destabilize the pack and increase the likelihood of future conflicts,” said Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center director of education.
“We are outraged by this irresponsible and unnecessary killing of this highly endangered wolf and especially outraged and disappointed that it was the government itself that took this action and did so related to possible livestock depredation,” said Sandy Bahr, director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter. “All Mexican wolves are precious due to their small numbers, but a breeding female is especially precious and important. This is no way to treat endangered wildlife.”
“Wildlife Services has a history littered with cruelty and mistakes; and usually it is wildlife that suffers. In fact, this is not the first time Wildlife Services has accidentally killed a Mexican wolf,” said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “It’s clear that adequate care was not taken. Asiza never should have been killed – it’s an outrage.”
“The killing of this breeding female is tragic news for the recovery of Mexican wolves,” said Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “While the agencies claim that killing this female was a mistake, they’re staying silent on the details as to how such an egregious error was made and how they’ll ensure mistakes like this won’t be repeated. We need to know why this killing occurred and how they’ll make sure it never happens again.”
“We recognize that this is an incredibly challenging time for federal workers, and thus for the wildlife and wild places they defend, but there must be a thorough investigation into this tragic mistake,” said Erin Hunt, managing director of Lobos of the Southwest. “The student who chose Asiza’s name did so because wolves are keystones of their habitat and guardians of our world. We owe it to the wolves and to current and future generations to ensure that these critical guardians roam safely and freely in the wild places where they belong. Asiza’s family deserves justice, and we all deserve the assurance that something like this will never happen again.”
“The killing of Asiza is more than a mistake; it’s a failure of ethical responsibility. Wolves are not the problem. Reactive, fear-driven policies are,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “If we want true recovery, we must move beyond coexistence and invest in relationships where both wolves and people can co-thrive.”
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