Give Endangered Mexican Wolves a Chance to Thrive!

At last count, there were only 83 wild Mexican gray wolves, or lobos, in the U.S. and they need your help. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently proposed changes to the rule governing the reintroduction program for the critically endangered Mexican wolf.

While provisions to increase the area where new wolves can be released and can roam are important, other proposed changes, such as allowing more killing of these endangered wolves and limiting protections, contradict what scientists say is necessary for the wolves’ recovery and could push the wolves towards extinction.

Your signature and personal comments on this petition will be submitted as comments on the proposal and will help influence decision-makers to save these wonderful animals before it's too late.

I want to see Mexican gray wolves survive and thrive. Please consider these my comments on the Proposed Rule: Revision to the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf.


First, USFWS should designate Mexican gray wolves as essential. The current labeling all of the wild wolves as “nonessential” ignores science and the reality of 16 years of experience with reintroducing wolves. USFWS should also move forward rapidly with a new, science based recovery plan.


I support Alternative 3’s provision for direct releases of Mexican wolves throughout Zone 1. This change has been recommended by experts for over 10 years and needs to be implemented immediately to increase the genetic health of the wild population and allow more breeding within the captive population.


I also support the expansion of the area where Mexican wolves are allowed in Alternative 3. However, the proposed rule prevents wolves returning to the Grand Canyon region, including northern Arizona and southern Utah, or to northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. This contradicts the best available science, which confirms that those areas are essential for Mexican wolf recovery. USFWS should eliminate boundaries to the wolves’ movement.


The rule must not include expanded provisions for “take” of these critically endangered wolves. Science-based program reviews have shown and USFWS has acknowledged that the killing and permanent removal of wolves by agency managers to resolve “conflicts” has been a major cause of failing to meet the reintroduction objective. Livestock owners and their agents should be required to clean up carcasses on public lands that could lead the wolves to scavenge and increase their likelihood of depredating on livestock, and should also take other non-lethal measures to deter conflicts.

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