Protect Mexican Gray Wolves From Extinction!
- by: WildEarth Guardians
- recipient: USFWS Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar
In March, a Mexican gray wolf cub who survived last summer's largest fire in Arizona history was found dead -- shot in cold blood.
With only 58 endangered Mexican gray wolves, or "lobos," in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona, the pup's death is especially tragic. It pushes the species one step closer to extinction.
To make matters worse, New Mexico allows the use of steel-jawed traps in wolf habitat. WildEarth Guardians has filed a lawsuit against the state for allowing federally-protected lobos to be killed and injured by traps.
Join WildEarth guardians in working to ensure the lobos' survival. There are more than 300 Mexican gray wolves currently in captivity waiting to be released into the wild and their release is critical to wolf recovery.
Tell the USFWS Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to release more wolves into the wild to save Mexican gray wolves.
Dear Dr. Tuggle and Secretary Salazar,
Mexican gray wolves need to live wild, and wild places need them. New releases of Mexican gray wolves are badly needed to bolster the population of only 58 wolves that remain in the wild. This population is too small to ensure the survival of these magnificent animals and there are many wolves in captivity that are eligible for release. Newly released wolves will not only increase population numbers but will also improve the wild population's genetics.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
I ask that you do all in your power to expedite releases of more captive wolves into the wild and to change the rules governing the reintroduction to allow initial releases directly into New Mexico. As the agency with ultimate authority and responsibility for restoring the Mexican wolf, the US Fish and Wildlife Service should be doing anything it can do to confirm its commitment to the wolf's success in the wild.
