Southwestern Mexican Gray Wolf Population Continues to Thrive
In a promising development for conservationists, the endangered wild Mexican gray wolf population in the Southwest has shown growth for the ninth year running. The latest survey conducted by state and federal wildlife authorities reveals that at least 286 wolves are now inhabiting areas across eastern Arizona and western New Mexico.
This marks the longest period of population increase since the species’ recovery efforts commenced nearly 30 years ago. The wolf population has expanded by 11% since 2023, now comprising at least 60 packs with 79 pups surviving through the end of last year. The count for 2023 recorded a minimum of 257 wolves.
Clay Crowder, assistant director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, noted, “The results of this year’s count reflect the hard work of many people and agencies that lead recovery. It also supports the recovery strategies in the 2022 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan as we see both demographic and genetic objectives being exceeded this year.”
A key strategy credited for this success is cross-fostering, which involves placing captive-born pups in wild dens to boost genetic diversity. Since its implementation, at least 20 fostered pups have reached breeding age, with 10 successfully producing offspring.
Despite their reintroduction in 1998, Mexican gray wolves, the rarest subspecies of gray wolf, continue to face significant challenges, including illegal killings and limited genetic diversity.
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