Common Name(s): Mexican Gray Wolf, Mexican Wolf, lobo (meaning "wolf" in Spanish)
Scientific Name: Canis lupus baileyi

Current Status: endangered

Population: There are approximately only 200 Mexican gray wolves left, where most are held in captivity as part of captive-breeding programs throughout 40 American or Mexican zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. *Though in the wild, about 22 Mexican gray wolves remain, as of August 2000.

Habitat: mountain forests, grasslands, and shrublands, not low deserts

Range: In March 1998 through the year 1999, 34 Mexican wolves were released into the "primary recovery zone" of the Apache National Forest in eastern Arizona. They are allowed to disperse into the adjacent Gila National Forest in western New Mexico however. These two areas make up what is called the "Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area" of about 7,000 square miles. Note: Of the 34 released, about 12 have either been shot, hit by a vehicle, returned to captivity, or have simply disappeared.

Historic Range: central and northern Mexico, southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona

Description: Coats are a mixture of gray, brown, rust, and/or tan, with light colored under parts. Their tails, ears, and legs are often streaked black. A typical adult Mexican wolf weighs between 60-80 pounds, and is about 5½ feet long from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. Their size and weight make them the smallest distinct subspecies of the gray wolf in North America.

Diet: White-tailed deer, mule, deer, and elk are common/known prey.

Behavior:

Reproduction:

History: Settlers in the early 1900's began to hunt and kill the Mexican wolf as both predators fought over prey, and each viewed the other as dangerous. By the 1950's this wolf was almost completely wiped out by private trappers and government agencies. In fact, the last known Mexican wolf in the wild was shot in 1970. By 1976, they were listed as endangered.

Threats:

Conservation: The Recovery Plan, approved by both the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Direccion General de la Fauna Silvestre in Mexico in 1982, called for a captive population as well as a wild population of at least 100 individuals over 5,000 square miles of historic range. In March 1997, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior approved a plan to reintroduce Mexican wolves to a portion of their historic range. After 14 public meetings, three formal public hearings, and analysis of over 18,000 comments from other agencies, organizations, and citizens, the final environmental impact statement was completed in December 1996. This thereby resulted in the release of wolves into the "Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area."

Recovery Plan: The objective is to reestablish a wild population of 100 or more Mexican gray wolves into the "Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area". Additional wolves could be released into the "White Sands Wolf Recovery Area" if necessary to reach the goal. These released wolves and their offspring are characterized under a "nonessential experimental population." Wolves are not allowed to establish territories outside recovery area boundaries. Any that do, will be recaptured and returned to the recovery area, or captivity. Releases are to occur through 2002. The Service predicts that the number of 100 wild Mexican gray wolves will be reached by the year 2008.

Additional Note: southernmost occuring, rarest, and most genetically distinct subspecies of gray wolf in North America