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Introduction to Mexican Wolves

Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) once ranged throughout much of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. Human settlement in the American Southwest, though, led to lobo's rapid decline. By the middle of the 20th century, the Mexican wolf was essentially exterminated in the region. Only a few—the ghosts of the southwest—remained in the wild into the 1970s.

But, in the late 1970s, Roy McBride found five lobos somehow still alive in Mexico; two of these animals, plus one never-captured male, became some of the founders of the current Mexican wolf population (there are seven founders all together). Beginning in 1998, Mexican wolves were released to run wild in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, which spans parts of Arizona and New Mexico; also, some 300 wolves are in captive facilities in the U.S. and Mexico.


Mexican Wolf FAQ 
( About The Species )
The Mexican gray wolf is the smallest, southernmost, most distinct and most endangered wolf in North America. Learn important facts about the Mexican wolf's appearance, diet and behaviors.
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Mexican Wolf Websites 
( About The Project )
Jackie Fallon shares her favorite Mexican wolf websites.
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Mexican Wolf Monthly Report: December 2009 
( About The Project )
What's the latest news on the packs and individual animals in the Mexican Wolf recovery program? This article summarizes data provided monthly by the Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Project Interagency Field Team.
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The Mexican Wolf Recovery Area 
( About The Region )
Mexican wolves once ranged through central and southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, west Texas, and as far south as Mexico City. The current Mexican wolf recovery area—known as the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA)—consists of some 6800 square miles in east-central Arizona and west-central New Mexico.
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