Mexican Wolf

Until recent times, the Mexican wolf ranged the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona. (Recent studies completed by genetics experts show evidence of Mexican wolves ranging as far north as Colorado). By the turn of the 20th century, reduction of natural prey like deer and elk caused many wolves to begin attacking domestic livestock, which led to intensive efforts by government agencies and individuals to eradicate the Mexican wolf. Hunters also hunted down the wolf because it killed deer. Trappers and private trappers have also helped in the eradication of the Mexican wolf. These efforts were very successful, and by the 1950s, the Mexican wolf had been eliminated from the wild. In 1976, the Mexican wolf was declared an endangered subspecies and has remained so ever since. Today, an estimated 340 Mexican wolves survive in 49 facilities in the United States and Mexico.