Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Should the Mexican Grey Wolf be reintroduced to the southwestern US ?
In 1998, 100 captive breed Mexican Grey Wolves (Canis lupis baileyi) were re-introduced to their native habitat in the southwestern United States, specifically the Blue Range Region between northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. Throughout the 2000's their numbers have decline rapidly (suggested causes include disease, prohibited hunting, and competition with other carnivores including coyotes and foxes). Formally, the Arizona Fish and Game Department (AZFGD) and New Mexico Game and Fish Department (NMGFD) were solely responsible for overseeing the reintroduction program. However, in 2008 congress voted to de-list the Mexican Grey Wolf as an endangered species because of its classification of sub-species of the Timberland Grey Wolf (Canis lupis lupis). Because of this the state agencies lost their funding and support from the federal government which they were receiving under the Endangered Species Act, and responsibility was turned over to the US Fish and Wildlife Department. Today, it is estimated that less than 40 individuals remain in the Blue Range, while its sister program in Yellowstone National Park reports over 300% increase in population since their re-introduction in 1983. What are your feelings on the reintroduction of the Mexican Grey Wolf, why do you think populations are declining in the Blue Range, and what should the federal government do about it?
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