22 May 2015
Posted by: Melanie Gade |
Feds Investigate Potential Wolf Shooting in Colorado:
Wildlife biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are
conducting DNA analysis on an animal shot by a coyote hunter outside of
Kremmling, Colorado on April 26, 2015 to determine if it was an
endangered gray wolf. Colorado has immense potential habitat for wolves,
but there hasn’t been an extended wolf presence in the state in seven
decades. If DNA tests confirm this animal is a wolf, its arrival in
Colorado is another indicator that wolves are trying to disperse into
this important part of their historic range. We want to see wolves
recovered in Colorado, which has some of the best suitable habitat for
wolves in the western USA. However, even if gray wolves do manage to get
to Colorado, they won’t survive in the state unless state wildlife
agencies take a larger role in educating local residents and hunters
about them. Coloradans should be aware that there could be wolves in
their state, and that this is an endangered and protected species. Most
importantly, hunters should be taught how to tell the difference between
wolves and coyotes. We’ll keep you updated here as we learn more on
this evolving situation.
A Mexican gray wolf pup howling.
Feds Consider Releasing Captive Mexican Gray Wolves into New Mexico:
By the late 1970s, there were only seven Mexican gray wolves left on
earth – a dangerously close encounter with extinction. Since the late
1990s, efforts have been underway to help recover this population. While
the wolves once ranged widely from central Mexico throughout the
southwestern U.S., today, recovery efforts are focused in Arizona and
New Mexico where there is ample suitable habitat for this species. The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reintroduced several captive Mexican
gray wolves into Arizona over the years, and at last count, there were
109 wolves living in the wild in the Southwest. To further aid in this
species’ recovery, the USFWS is now proposing to release two captive
Mexican gray wolves into the state of New Mexico. Defenders strongly
believes that more wolves need to be released into the wild to increase
this imperiled population’s genetic diversity, and the Gila National
Forest in western New Mexico has ample suitable habitat for these
wolves. Stay tuned for updates on this topic here.
Great Turnout on Rally For Mexican Gray Wolves: A
big thanks to all of our Southwest members who were able to join us
earlier this week as we rallied on the steps of the New Mexico capital
for Mexican gray wolves. For 17 years, media giant and wildlife
philanthropist, Ted Turner, has shared his New Mexico property to aid in
Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts.
Turner’s Ladder Ranch property is important to wolf recovery because
for 17 years, it’s provided large, fenced holding pens for Mexican gray
wolves en route to or from the wild. However, earlier this month,
Governor Martinez and her appointees on the New Mexico Game Commission
announced they will not renew the permit to keep wolves there. This is a
major road block for continued Mexican gray wolf recovery efforts.
Thanks to our members, we were able to take a strong stand and raise the
visibility of this issue. In total, more than 200 wolf supporters
participated in our Monday rally, and several media outlets were present
to document our efforts. This issue has garnered significant media
attention and we are hopeful that our added pressure will turn the tide.
source
... and thank you, Melanie!
Melanie Gade, Communications Specialist
Melanie handles press coverage for wildlife in the Pacific Norwest and Rockies and Plains, as well as Defenders' national work on the Endangered Species Act.
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