The Mexican Wolf
Overview
The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the most genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf. They are smaller than other gray wolf subspecies, with a body that ranges from 4.5 to 6 feet long and a proportionally long tail (between 10 and 18 inches). Their multicolored coats contain shades of ochre, cinnamon, black, and white fur, and they have long, mane-like hair around their neck. Mexican wolves also have long legs, and big, thick ears with rounded tips.
In the early 1900s, hunting increased and ranching expanded throughout North America. The natural prey species of the Mexican wolf were replaced by cattle and sheep, creating a tragic situation for the wolves. Livestock depredations gave ranchers and government officials in the United States and Mexico a reason to initiate a series of strategies to kill wolves. Once abundant in the mountains of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, the Mexican wolf nearly went extinct by the early 1970s. The Endangered Species Act prevented the complete eradication of the Mexican wolf, but their population was so low at the time that wildlife officials felt the only option for the restoration of this unique subspecies was captive breeding and reintroduction to historical ranges.
A Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) program was developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage and oversee a breeding program and to lend support to the reintroduction and recovery efforts of the species in the wild. Roy McBride, an experienced wolf trapper, was hired by USFWS to remove the last individuals remaining in the Mexican wild. After many difficulties, he was able to trap five wolves, three of which were selected based on their genetic characteristics for the SSP program. They came to be known as the McBride lineage. An additional four Mexican wolves from two distinct lineages – Ghost Ranch and Aragón – were found living in captivity and added to the founding SSP population. These seven wolves would come to be the founders for the entire breeding population.
In 2023, the SSP program transitioned into a Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program. Only 241 Mexican wolves are known to be living in the wild today, mainly along the Arizona-New Mexico border and in Mexico.
Wolf Haven’s Role
Wolf Haven has participated in the Mexican Wolf SSP/SAFE program since 1994 as a breeding facility. Because of the secluded nature of our sanctuary, the wolves who are raised here are prime candidates for release into the wild. Pre-release enclosures are designed to prepare wolves for life in the wild, and meet the size, space, and privacy requirements outlined by the program. Interactions with humans are kept to a minimum and observations are done by remote camera.
In 1998, three packs of Mexican wolves were released into Arizona’s Apache National Forest after being absent from the wild for nearly 30 years. One of those packs — the Hawk’s Nest pack — came from Wolf Haven. They successfully hunted an elk in less than a week. Including this pack, a total of ten litters of Mexican wolves have been born at Wolf Haven. Two packs have been released into the wild in the United States, and another has been released into the wild in Mexico.
Wolf Haven also hosted the annual binational Mexican Wolf SSP/SAFE Meeting in 2012, where delegates from the United States and Mexico came together to discuss the status of the Mexican wolf recovery plan and made recommendations for breeding, transfers, and releases.The Mexican wolf recovery program currently manages a population of over 400 Mexican wolves in 60 facilities across the United States and Mexico.
