Identification

• Mexican wolves are one of five gray wolf subspecies that are native to the North American continent. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the Phoenix Zoo describe the wolves as having gray, black or reddish coats with yellowish fur on their underbellies. They are usually about 5 feet long and weigh between 70 and 80 lbs. as adults.
  
  

Geography and Habitat

• According to the Defenders of Wildlife website, at one time the territory of the Mexican gray wolf extended from the southwestern parts of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico all the way down to central Mexico, where they inhabited mountainous forested areas. After being reintroduced to the southwest in 1988, the Mexican gray wolf now inhabits the forests and grasslands of Arizona's Apache National Forest.
  
  

Diet and Behavior

• Mexican gray wolves eat the deer and elk that are prevalent in their mountain habitats. They also eat rabbits, mice and other small mammals. The Defenders of Wildlife website explains that these wolves live and hunt in pack units that are headed by a dominant alpha male and alpha female. Each wolf has its own place in the pack status.
  
  

History

• As European settlers moved into the southwestern regions of the United States, they over-hunted the elk species in the area and established farms in areas where the wolves were accustomed to hunt. With less natural game available, the Mexican gray wolves began encroaching into human areas and started hunting their livestock. Farmers made a deliberate effort to wipe the wolves out of existence. The Phoenix Zoo explains that their efforts were highly successful. Mexican wolves were completely eradicated from the southwestern United States by the middle of the 20th century.
  
  

Conservation

• The Arizona Game and Fish Department states that the Mexican gray wolf was listed as an endangered species in 1976 under the 1973 Endangered Species Act. However, by 1976 the Mexican wolf was extinct in the southwest and only a few wolves still existed in Mexico. The United States and Mexico established a dual-nation breeding program with the goal of reintroducing Mexican wolves to the American Southwest. On March 29, 1998, 11 captive-bred wolves were released in Arizona, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Despite the intensive efforts to restore the wolf population, the Defenders of Wildlife website notes that by 2008 only around 50 Mexican gray wolves had been released into the wild.