This is important...the wolf cut into someone s profit.
It was hunted and exterminated...not because it was a mean vicious killer of mankind...but because it was doing what it had always done... survive... in a land that was its own.

By the 1920s the Wolf was just about gone from the Western landscape.

The Mexican wolf, also known as "Lobo", is the smallest, most endangered, most genetically unique subspecies of the North American grey wolf. From prehistoric to fairly recent times, the Mexican wolf ranged from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona.
In Mexico, the wolf was found in the Sierra Madre and adjoining highlands.

The Mexican wolf is listed as extinct in the U.S. and highly endangered in Mexico.

©1990 Photo courtesy Laurence Parent

Wolves in the Southwest preferred the mountain woodlands, due to the favorable cover, availability of water, and the abundance of food. The Mexican wolf preyed upon deer, antelope, javelina, rabbits, and other small mammals. Biologists believe the wolves form small family units or social packs consisting of an adult breeding pair and their offspring. Both parents and other pack members would bring food to the young.

Most of our information about the lobo comes from trappers' journals and reports because wild populations were exterminated before they were scientifically studied.

Courtesy of Lincoln Park Zoo

Following an agreement between Mexico and the United States, a recovery plan was begun in 1977 with the live capture of wolves in Mexico. Five Mexican wolves were captured between 1977 and 1980 in Durango, and Chihuahua, Mexico, and were transferred to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona. These five wolves, four males and one pregnant female, were the beginning of the captive breeding program for the reintroduction of the Mexican wolf into their native habitat in the United States.

The first litter of Mexican wolves born in captivity occurred in 1978 at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

The San Andres Mountains to the west of White Sands National Monument have been chosen as one of the sites for the reintroduction of the Mexican wolf. These mountains are surrounded by White Sands Missile Range, are closed to public access, and have little or no domesticated livestock raised in the immediate area. These conditioned make this area one of the most ideal sites in North America for the reestablishment of the Mexican wolf.

The captive population, managed for the United States and Mexico by 31 zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, now numbers about 150 animals. In March 1997, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior approved a plan to restore Mexican wolves to a portion of historic range in Arizona and New Mexico. The final environmental impact statement was completed in December 1996, after 14 public meetings, 3 formal public hearings, an analysis of over 18,000 comments from other agencies, organizations, and citizens.

Beginning in 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will release about three family groups of Mexican wolves into the "primary recovery zone" on public lands within the Apache National Forest in eastern Arizona. The wolves will be allowed to disperse throughout "secondary recovery zones" in the Apache National Forest and the adjacent Gila National Forest in New Mexico. The two forests are designated the "Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area." Additional family groups will be released each year for the next 5 years, if necessary, until natural reproduction can sustain population growth. A second area, the White Sands Wolf Recovery Area, could be used later if necessary to achieve the objective of 100 wolves.

Gates to the pens were opened on Sunday, March 29 and all of the animals were radio collared for tracking by ground crew and airplane.

On April 2 the acclimation pen gates were closed as the wolves no longer needed them for security.

About April 13, the Turkey Creek wolves were reported to be near a mountain lion hunter's camp on the National Forest, and were exhibiting territorial behavior towards the hunting dogs staked at the camp. To avoid a potential aggressive interaction between the wolves and the dogs, the hunter moved his camp several miles away.
On April 21 it was confirmed that the Hawk's Nest Pack made a successful kill of a full grown female elk.
The Campbell Blue Pack has stayed fairly close to the release area but often moves several miles a day exploring the surrounding area

On Tuesday, April 28, 1998 four-year-old male wolf, number 156, was shot and killed by a camper.
Number 156 was released from the Turkey Creek acclimation pen site and had been exploring and establishing a territory within a mile to a mile-and-a half of the release site.
An investigation is in process

There are only 175 Mexican wolves left in the world, all but these eleven still in captivity.

The shooter of this wolf has a story that is suspect at best the investigation goes on.

On May 1, 1998 wolf number 128, the female mate of wolf number 156 was recaptured near the original acclimation pen at Turkey Creek. On May 2, 1998 she was transported back to the area she spent with her mate at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
She is pregnant and will have her pups soon.

On May 5, 1998 number 128 had her pups.

It is looking more and more like the killing of number 156 was malicious, rather than just ignorant. Investigations continue, the name of the shooter has not been released.

To keep updated on the progress of the Mexican Wolf in the wild check out the
US Fish and Wildlife Service - Southwest Region

I. A one year moratorium on releases of Mexican gray wolves to the wild from the captive breeding population, from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. This will prevent infusion of new genetic material even though the lead Mexican wolf genetic researcher, Dr. Philip Hedrick of Arizona State University, has written that only one of the three lineages comprising the limited Mexican wolf gene pool is well represented in the wild population, and it is imperative to introduce new animals from the other two lineages. Dr. Hedrick added that it is important to introduce these new animals as soon as possible while the population is small so that their relative contribution to the genetic mix will be greater.

II. A one year ban on translocations (re-releases) of wolves that have killed livestock within one year, into any jurisdiction (ie. state or tribal) excepting that from which they were captured. This will exacerbate the detrimental effects of the present policy that prevents any releases from the captive breeding population into New Mexico. Should the proposal go into effect, no wolves captured in Arizona could be released in New Mexico. The translocation of wolves from Arizona to New Mexico has been a standard practice until now and is the primary tool available for establishing the wolf population in New Mexico, since direct releases from the captive pool are precluded by regulation.

III. A permanent new policy ("Standard Operating Procedure 13") to kill wolves responsible for attacking three head of livestock if they cannot be trapped within ten days, and to kill wolves immediately if four domestic animals have been attacked. This will ramp up the lethality of the present control program which has already resulted in a twenty percent drop in the known Mexican wolf population during 2004 (from 55 to 44 animals). Had this policy been in effect from the outset of the program, several packs in existence now would have been destroyed. For example, the Bluestem Pack, which committed a brief spate of livestock killings in 2002 and has since then relied entirely on natural prey, would have been trapped or killed.

The proposed policies are at odds with recommendations in the Mexican Wolf Three-Year Review (the Paquet Report), conducted by independent scientists, that fewer wolves be captured and killed by the government and that the government obtain authority to release wolves in broader areas and allow them to roam at will, just as other endangered species are allowed.

The proposals also contradict the spirit of the Paquet Report's recommendation that ranchers be required to take some responsibility for removing or rendering unpalatable (as by lime) the carcasses of domestic animals dead from non-wolf causes before wolves feed on them and habituate to livestock. Instead of preventing conflicts, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to implement even more deadly wolf control when conflicts develop.

The Paquet Report's recommendations, released in June 2001, have not been implemented.

The draft Five-Year Review (released December 2004) also recommends that wolves be allowed to roam outside political boundaries, and that the Fish and Wildlife Service be able to release wolves from the captive breeding population into New Mexico, and points out a 91% correlation between wolves that scavenged on dead livestock and those that attacked stock.

Help take ACTION

Since its reintroduction the Mexican Wolf has been hard pressed to thrive and survive.
It seems that some of those in the area are screaming bloody murder and killing the pack members when they can. To date they have pretty much got away with it.
Until NOW!

Killer of Mexican gray wolf gets 4-month prison term.

By LARRY HENDRICKS - Arizona Sun

An Arizona man was sentenced to four months in prison Friday for the 1998 killing of an endangered Mexican gray wolf that wandered onto his property in eastern Apache County near the New Mexico border.

James Rogers, 21, was charged with and convicted of three federal counts in connection with the killing of Wolf 493: killing the animal, failing to report it within 24 hours and transporting the body to another state.

Along with the prison term, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Verkamp of the U.S. District Court in Flagstaff sentenced Rogers to six months house arrest with electronic monitoring and three years probation.

Rogers has until 9 a.m., Oct. 27 to turn himself in to U.S. marshals and start his prison term, the location of which has yet to be determined.

"This is a troubling case," said Verkamp, adding that Rogers showed no remorse for the killing and displayed a disregard for life.

"I do regret shooting it," said Rogers. "I do regret hauling it off. I just don't want to lose my family."

I always find it amazing how remorse sets in AFTER sentencing.
The taxpayer is out millions of dollars in this reintroduction program and those trying to stop it by illegally killing these animals should pay for part of it.
In the scheme of things this was a mere slap on the wrist.
Had this young man been ordered his full year in jail and the maximum fines allowable no doubt it would be far more memorable and a much better mindlessly to those in the future who might mindlessly take a pot shot at one of these wolves.

Had the Richard Humphreys case below been handled in the same manner there probably would have been no need for this case to hit the news.

But outside, after the sentencing, Rogers and his family members railed against a wolf reintroduction program that affected their livelihood as ranchers. One angry woman, who had to be physically restrained by a crying Rogers, said if reintroduction officials were so keen on bringing back the wolves, they should do it in their own back yards.

Rogers killed female Wolf 493 when it ventured onto his property in the Apache County town of Nutrioso. He then took the animal to a location approximately three miles from his home, across the Arizona border into New Mexico.

Killing a Mexican gray wolf is a federal offense punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine up to $100,000. The wolves may be killed or injured in defense of human life, but it must be reported within 24 hours. Accidental killings must also be reported within 24 hours.

Camille Bibles, assistant U.S. attorney, called two witnesses during the hearing. First to the stand was Brian Kelly, the Mexican gray wolf recovery project leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Kelly explained how the reintroduction of a carnivore into an ecosystem that has been eradicated returned a balance to that ecosystem. The territory for the wolves included the area from central Mexico into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

There are approximately 220 Mexican gray wolves in existence, with more than 200 of them still in captivity at 42 sites in the U.S. and Mexico, said Kelly. All of the wolves are descended from seven wolves that remained before the reintroduction effort.

Kelly explained that Mexican gray wolves do not pose a threat to people and that they tend to flee from people.

Kelly said that in a 20-year period, 238 people in the U.S. have been killed by domestic dogs. In the last half-century, not one human has been killed by a wolf.

Kelly said significant jail time would be a deterrent to anybody killing more wolves.

But Flagstaff attorney Keith Hammond, on behalf of Rogers, disagreed, feeling jail would only make a martyr of Rogers and further alienate the ranching community from the reintroduction program.

"It's important to have the support of the local people?" asked Hammond of Kelly.

"It's critical," said Kelly.

Special Agent Doug McKenna of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who investigated Wolf 493's killing, also said significant jail time would be appropriate.

"We need to send a message out," he said.

The investigation began in October 1998 after program officials received a mortality signal from the wolf's collar.

He explained that Wolf 493 had been killed from a .22-caliber bullet wound, and at the site she was found, her nose had been pushed into the dirt.

Hammond felt Rogers could better serve the community by persuading people in the community that killing a Mexican gray wolf is not worth it than by going to prison.

"We have the opportunity to make a bridge here with these people," said Hammond.

Verkamp disagreed, and said before ranchers came, the wolves were already there.

"It appears to me (the shooting) was more a defiant act," said Verkamp, adding that he hoped Rogers' sentence would deter others from killing reintroduced wolves.

ORIGINAL STORY

Mid morning of April 28, 1997 a man shot and killed Mexican Wolf number 156 in the Apache National Forest of eastern Arizona. Since that time his mate number 126 was recaptured and taken back to their original home at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. One pup was born to that couple and it died this week end.

This is a tragedy in that there are only a few Mexican Wolves left. There are only 7 left that have been reintroduced back in the wild in eastern Arizona. Two young females left their original packs and were also recaptured.

The fish and wildlife had investigated this killing and the story that emerges is:

A 55 year old man and his family were camping about a mile from the release pens of the Turkey Creek group. According to this mans account they had taken their dog along for protection. That morning he was giving his young daughter her lessons (he was home teaching his children) when the wife called him because the dog had been engaged in a fight with the male wolf. The man grabbed his rifle and shot the wolf. He said he feared for the welfare of his family.

According to investigators and the animal behaviorists they do not believe there was any danger from the wolves. But they do believe this man thought they were in danger and therefore the killing was justified.

ENDANGERED WOLF SHOT WHILE STANDING STILL, KILLER LINKED TO ANTI-ESA GROUP

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's investigative report on the shooting of an endangered Mexican gray wolf on the Arizona/New Mexico border strongly suggests that the wolf was murdered. The wolf was shot broadside through both legs while standing still, contradicting the shooter's story that the wolf was charging his wife when shot. The report also shows that the shooter initially told the Arizona Department of Fish and Game that the wolf was shot because it attacked his dog, but changed his story after newpapers explained that it is only legal to kill endangered species if they threaten human lives.

After the shooting, the killer visited Tucson newspapers with members of the Safarhi Club, speaking out against the wolf recovery program. The Safarhi Club has lobbied against protecting endangered species from hunting. Members of have been convicted of killing endangered species.

I do not understand this. Here in California a farmer in the San Joaquin Valley accidentally ran over an endangered Kangaroo Rat and for that accident his tractor was seized he was heavily fined and it took months for it to be cleared up.

Did the government seize this mans gun, camping gear or anything?

Do we as citizens stand for this man going scott free with no fines, no nothing?
I don't think so!
I will post where and who to write to keep someone s feet to the fire on this.
The wolf killer is:
Richard Humphrey
A U.S. Postal Service Worker
He is from Tucson, Az. and a member of Safari Club

This is what is being done NOW!!
This is what you can do to help.

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