Colorado Has an Unintended Wolf Problem
The Mexican gray wolf is apparently making a return to the Rocky Mountains. A female wolf has ventured north of Interstate 40 and has been tracked in the mountainous area west of Jemez Springs. This comes after the same wolf reached the foothills of the Rockies near Taos last winter before being caught and released back into the wild in Arizona.
Dubbed F2754, this wolf seems determined to defy the boundaries set by federal and state wildlife managers for managing the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Both sides are cautiously monitoring the wolf's movements, with the possibility of capturing and relocating it still on the table.
But while environmentalists are applauding this wolf's journey as a sign of the species' resilience and potential to thrive outside designated recovery zones, ranchers in New Mexico and Arizona are understandably concerned. They have long complained about the wolves being responsible for the deaths of dozens of livestock every year and worry about any expansion of their range.
And it's not just about protecting livestock. President of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association, Loren Patterson, warns that "vulnerable children, pets, and livestock in rural areas" also need to be cautious of having Mexican wolves in their backyards.
But the environmental groups behind legal challenges to federal regulations argue that these concerns are overblown. They believe the rules governing wolf recovery are outdated and ignore scientific evidence, with one group's Southwest program director suggesting that this lone wolf may be in search of a mate that it could potentially find in Colorado.
READ MORE:
FIRST WOLVES SECURED FOR VOTER MANDATED REINTRODUCTION INTO COLORADO
POTENTIAL DANGERS LOOM AS COLORADO PREPARES FOR WOLF REINTRODUCTION
HOW WOLF REINTRODUCTION IS SUPPOSED TO GO — AND HOW IT’S GOING
The latest survey results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show a steady increase in the number of Mexican wolves in the southwestern U.S. since reintroduction efforts began over two decades ago. With more breeding pairs and pups than ever before, it seems the wolf population is only going to continue to grow. With many liberal environmentalist advocates in Colorado hoping so.