For Immediate Release March 3, 2025
Contacts:
Chris Smith, WildEarth Guardians, 505–395-6177, csmith@wildearthguardians.org
Claire Musser, Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, 928-202-1325 claire@gcwolfrecovery.org
Michael Robinson, Center for Biological Diversity, 575-313-7017, michaelr@biologicaldiversity.
Greta Anderson, Western Watersheds Project, 520-623-1878, greta@westernwatersheds.org
Regan Downey, Wolf Conservation Center, 914-763-2373, regan@nywolf.org
Mexican gray wolf population count increases, but lobos are still threatened by low gene diversity and high illegal killing
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The Arizona Game and Fish Department and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish released the results of the annual wild Mexican gray wolf population count today, revealing that the number of wolves in the wild at the end of January 2025 in Arizona and New Mexico increased to a minimum of 286 wolves. While population growth is positive, the wild population’s genetic crisis becomes harder to fix as the population expands. Conservation groups point to the lack of genetic diversity as a long-term threat to the species, while recognizing lobos are more immediately threatened by potential budget cuts to the program.
“The slow growth of this critical and singular wild lobo population is a testament to the species’ resiliency and their place on the landscape where they have roamed for thousands of years,” said Chris Smith, wildlife program director for WildEarth Guardians. “But the reality is that illegal killings, genetic crisis, and a lack of room to roam are impairing true recovery. As the federal administration abandons the environment, wildlife, and conservation, states need to step up.”
“More Mexican wolves means more opportunities for hikers and campers to see these beautiful animals, but the Fish and Wildlife Service has to act quickly to protect them from a dwindling gene pool,” said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “If genetic diversity isn’t truly increased it could mean that our descendants might never see any of these exquisite wolves. Such a tragedy is entirely preventable with science-based reforms.”
“Wolves like Hope (F2979) have shown us that Mexican gray wolves are capable of finding and thriving in suitable habitat beyond the artificial I-40 boundary,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “The Grand Canyon ecoregion and the southern Rockies offer the space, prey, and ecological connectivity necessary for true recovery. If we continue to confine wolves to politically drawn lines, we are not following science—we are failing the species. Wolves must be allowed to disperse naturally to ensure a genetically viable and self-sustaining population.”
“We’re concerned that Mexican gray wolf recovery will be defunded by people in the Trump administration who don’t care about the non-monetary values of wild things and wild places,” said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project. “We don’t always agree with how Mexican wolves are managed, but we know that without the continued federal engagement and the strong protections of the Endangered Species Act, we wouldn’t have this many lobos alive and in the wild.”
“We’re heartened by the continued growth of the wild Mexican gray wolf population and take pride in knowing that Slides, a Mexican wolf born at the Wolf Conservation Center (NY) and fostered into a wild family, is contributing to the growth of his endangered species,” said Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center. “We hope that with our collective efforts, and the science-based leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all Mexican wolves will thrive wherever they choose to roam.”
Background on Mexican Gray Wolves:
The lobo, or Mexican gray wolf, is the smallest, most genetically distinct, and one of the rarest subspecies of the gray wolf. These native southwestern wolves were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1976 after being eradicated in the wild. Reintroduction efforts began in 1998, but conservation efforts have suffered without the implementation of recommended recovery actions.
For years, scientists have recommended to the Service that there be three subpopulations of at least 200 wolves each (with a minimum of 750 total), spread throughout the southwestern United States, including areas like the Grand Canyon Ecoregion and the Southern Rockies (Carroll et al. 2006; Wayne and Hedrick 2011; Carroll et al. 2014; Hendricks, et al. 2016). Scientists warn that this metapopulation structure and geographic distribution are imperative to the recovery of Mexican wolves. Unfortunately, we are still far short of this scientific recommendation.
Learn more at www.mexicanwolves.org.
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