For the fifth consecutive year, the Mexican wolf population in the United States increased. Overall numbers jumped by 14 percent in 2020 to an estimated population of 186 animals. Survey crews estimate 114 wolves in New Mexico and 72 in Arizona.
The latest report did not include an update on livestock depredation. At last word, an April 2019 report confirmed 27 confirmed wolf depredation incidents on livestock compared to 40 such incidents in the previous three months combined.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation believes the Mexican gray wolf recovery should remain focused on the current experimental restoration zones, with no expansion northward beyond their historic range. RMEF believes wolf restoration must account for their impacts on other wildlife and livestock, as well as hunters, in the states and countries where they live. We support increased emphasis on restoring Mexican wolves to their former ranges south of the U.S. border as supported by recent research, and encourage the ongoing cooperation between state agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Mexican wildlife managers.
(Photo source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)