U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Mexican Gray Wolf
Fact Sheet
Southwest Region
Mexican Gray Wolf
The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus
baileyi), or “lobo,” is the smallest,
southernmost occurring, rarest, and most
genetically distinct subspecies of gray
wolf in North America. It once occurred in
the mountainous regions of the Southwest
from central Mexico throughout portions
of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and
perhaps even farther north, as suggested
by more recent research. Aggressive
predator control programs towards the
turn of the century all but exterminated
the Mexican wolf from the wild. With the
capture of the last 5 remaining Mexican
wolves in the wild in Mexico from
1977 - 1980, a captive-breeding program
was initiated and saved the Mexican wolf
from extinction. Today, the captive
population consists of approximately 300
animals, and encompasses over 45 zoos
and wildlife facilities throughout the
United States and Mexico.
A typical Mexican wolf weighs between
50-80 pounds, is about 5 ½ feet in length
including the tail (German Shepard size),
stands approximately 28 – 32 inches at the
shoulder, and has a richly-colored coat of
buff, gray, rust, and black, often with
distinguishing facial “masks.” Solid black
or white variations do not exist as with
other North American gray wolves. Like
all wolves, Mexican wolves have a
complex social structure and an intricate
communication system that includes scent
marking, body postures, and numerous
vocalizations such as howling, barking,
whining, and growling. They live in
extended family groups, or packs,
consisting of an adult mated pair and their
offspring, often from several generations.
Known prey for Mexican wolves includes
elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer, but
wolves can and do occasionally kill
livestock, especially young calves.
Recovery efforts for the Mexican wolf
began when it was listed as endangered in
1976. A Mexican wolf recovery team was
convened in 1979 to write the Recovery
Plan, which was approved by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (Service) in 1982.
The recovery plan contains the objective
of reestablishing a free-ranging
population of Mexican wolves within its
historic range. A Final Environmental
Impact Statement entitled:
“Reintroduction of the Mexican Wolf
within its Historic Range in the
Southwestern United States” was
completed in December 1996 after 14
public meetings, three formal public
hearings, and analysis of over 18,000
comments from other agencies,
organizations, and citizens. In March
1997, the Service obtained approval from
the Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Interior to restore Mexican wolves to the
wild in Arizona and New Mexico.
In March 1998, the Service and its
cooperators, Arizona Game and Fish
Department, New Mexico Department of
Game and Fish, USDA-APHIS Wildlife
Services, and USDA-Forest Service
released three family groups of Mexican
wolves into the “primary recovery zone” on
public lands within the Apache National
Forest in eastern Arizona. Additional
wolves have been released annually and will
continue until natural reproduction sustains
wild population growth. In 2002, White
Mountain Apache Tribe also became a
formal cooperator, and the first release of
wolves onto Fort Apache Indian
Reservation occurred in 2003.
Reintroduced wolves are allowed to
disperse throughout the “secondary
recovery zone” in the Apache National
Forest and the adjacent Gila National
Forest in New Mexico. Combined, the two
forests make up what is called the “Blue
Range Wolf Recovery Area.” Released
Mexican wolves and their offspring are
designated as a “nonessential
experimental population” in a special
regulation (rule), which defines
management guidelines, including
provisions for removal of wolves that
depredate livestock. An Interagency Field
Team has been formed to manage and
track the free-ranging Mexican wolf
population, and an Adaptive Management
Oversight Committee provides guidance
to the field team and serves as the
interface to the public through an
Adaptive Management Working Group.
For more information on the Mexican wolf
program, contact the Interagency Field
Team at 928/339-4329 or 1-888/459-9653; the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at
505/346-2525; the Arizona Game and Fish
Department at 928/367-4281; the New
Mexico Department of Game and Fish at
505/476-8101; Fort Apache Indian
Reservation at 928/338-4385; Wildlife
Services at 866/487-3297 or visit http://
mexicanwolf.fws.gov or http://azgfd.gov/wolf.
March 2006
