Wolf Reintroduction Accountability

Once feared extinct in the wild, Mexican wolves are making a comeback!

Here%u2019s how:

The National Zoo is working with more than 40 other zoos and breeding facilities to help save Mexican wolves. To keep the population genetically healthy as it grows, zoos collaborate breeding efforts through an Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Wolves from the Species Survival Plan are selected for reintroduction into the wild. But before they go, they live in near-wild conditions in order to get used to living on their own.

Making the transition to the wild is tough%u2014and living in the wilderness can be dangerous.

Wolves are fitted with radio collars so biologists can closely monitor their movements after their release. This type of research is critical to protecting and managing endangered wildlife.

 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves into the wild in 1998. The agency will continue releases until the wild population is self-sustaining (probably around 100 animals). In January 2007, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimated the population to be 59 wolves.

Anticipating setbacks is important for any ambitious project, and the Mexican wolf reintroduction program is no exception.

Some people don%u2019t want wolves around.

Occasionally, wolves attack livestock, particularly young cattle. To help ease the burden on local ranchers, Defenders of Wildlife (a private conservation organization) reimburses ranchers for their losses.

 

 

 

There are three wolf management facilities in the United States, all working parts of the National Wildlife Refuge System:

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge

 

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge website (New Mexico)

Ted Turner's Ladder Ranch (New Mexico) This is one of several Ted Turner Endangered Species Fund programs.

Wolf Haven International website (Washington state)

 

 

The National Zoo is proud to highlight the work of other conservation organizations working to celebrate, study, and protect Mexican wolves.

Partners in Conservation:

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service protects, breeds, and releases wolves into the wild%u2014all part of their Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan. They also run the National Wildlife Refuge System%u2014protecting critical habitat for wolves and other wildlife.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) coordinates the Species Survival Plan for the Mexican wolf. Under the umbrella of the AZA, zoos and other conservation organizations carefully manage wolves for breeding, share research, and work together to protect wolves and their habitats.

 

Some people don%u2019t want wolves around.

Occasionally, wolves attack livestock, particularly young cattle. To help ease the burden on local ranchers, Defenders of Wildlife (a private conservation organization) reimburses ranchers for their losses

 

While all this looks great on paper and in theory, it is not a workable program. These wolves are raised around humans and are such not afraid of humans after being released into the wild. For this reason they tend to wander into people's yards and attack and kill pets. And this sort of thing needs to be controlled better by our governemnet before it goes from killing our pets to killing our children.

 

I ask that the US government release frequent  information on the efforts of this program to control where these wolves are at all times, and to issue alerts when an area is heavily populated by the wolves. Help us to keep our loved ones and pets safe from these wolves, or simply stop reintroducing them to the wild