Mexican Wolf

Canis lupus baileyi (Nelson & Goldman, 1929)

       Order: Carnivora

        Family: Canidae

HABITAT

Currently it is only found living in the wild in Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, and Chihuahua; while in captivity there are around 200 individuals distributed in 48 breeding facilities in the United States and Mexico.

RECOVERY EFFORTS:

One of the most endangered mammals in North America; by the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of wolves in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. Since then, for over four decades, the U.S. and Mexican governments, with the help of some non-profit organizations, have worked to recover the popula- tion of the Mexican wolf. In 1998, wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act. As a result of these efforts, in 2017 it was estimated that there were at least 143 individuals currently living in the wild in both countries, and about 240 in captive-breeding facilities.