Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have finalized a new rule concerning the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. As Arizona Public Radio’s Ryan Heinsius reports, the move broadens the endangered animal’s territory but also expands the circumstances under which they could be killed.
Mexican gray wolves will now be able to roam much of the area between Interstate 40 and the U.S.-Mexico border. This represents a fourfold increase in the federally protected animal’s primary territory.
But a wolf could be legally killed if found threatening livestock or domesticated animals. The predators could also be killed if officials determine an individual is negatively impacting a herd of elk or deer.
Critics of the Fish and Wildlife rule say it gives too much authority to kill the wolves in the wild. Ranchers and some state officials contend it’s necessary to ensure safety and protect the livelihoods of some rural Arizonans.
Additionally, Fish and Wildlife will now list the Mexican wolf as its own subspecies under the Endangered Species Act. Previously, Mexican wolves were listed as a subspecies of gray wolves.
Recently, several environmental groups as well as the Arizona Game and Fish Department separately gave notice of intents to sue Fish and Wildlife. The groups claim the federal management plan, devised in the early ’80s, falls well short of what would be required to bring the Mexican gray wolf back from the brink of extinction.
