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Wolves of the World

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New Mexico at a glance

The Mexican gray wolf once roamed throughout most of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Mexico. Persecution and, eventually, poisoning began shortly after European settlement. On March 29, 1998, eleven captive-reared wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. This reintroduced population is shared by New Mexico and Arizona. Main prey for wolves there are elk, deer and domestic livestock. Much controversy surrounds these wolves, due in large part to depredation (killing livestock) issues. Wolves in New Mexico range in less than 5 percent of the map shown. Range lines are not depicted.

Species Information

Species
Common Name: gray wolf, maicoh (Navajo), tasha (Caddo), lobo (Spanish)
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Subspecies 2
Common Name: Mexican wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus baileyi

Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: 52, in shared population with Arizona
Population trend: Slightly decreasing
Legal status: Federal protection, with some exceptions

Human Relationships

History
Information related to the history of wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.

Recovery & Management
Information related to legal status, regulations and management plans and practices in New Mexico and Arizona.

Depredation
Information related to depredation issues, compensation and prevention in New Mexico and Arizona.

Wolf-Human Interactions
Information related to safety, hunting competition with humans, ecotourism, and tips for coexisting with wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.

Related Links & Information
Information or links to other groups or agencies in New Mexico and Arizona related to the relationship between wolves and humans.

Ecology

Biology
Descriptions of species/subspecies present: physiology and unique characteristics as well as information related to distribution of wolves in New Mexico and Arizona.