The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says an endangered Mexican gray wolf was found dead west of Flagstaff last week.
The wolf, nick-named “Hope” by local school children, had gained attention this year as federal officials sought to capture and relocate her to the experimental reintroduction area south of Interstate 40.
She and at least one other Mexican wolf had been living northwest of Flagstaff throughout 2024.
Conservation groups fought to keep the pack north of the interstate, and have long insisted that long term recovery necessitates wolves living around the Grand Canyon.
The wolf’s death was met with shock and anger from many of those who have advocated for reintroduction to northern Arizona.
“Hope embodied the dreams of so many here in Flagstaff, including the school children who named her, that wolves can return and restore natural balance to the Grand Canyon region,” says Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity Taylor McKinnon.
It is unclear how the wolf died and the cause is under investigation. Officials found her body near East Spring Valley Road northwest of Parks.
They aren’t releasing details of the death.
The fate of the other Mexican wolf living in the area is unknown.
Officials are offering more than $100,000 for information that leads to the successful prosecution in the case.
Director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter Sandy Bahr called on federal and state agencies to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone found responsible for the wolf’s death.
“If the investigation into Hope’s death reveals that a person killed her, we expect the Arizona Game and Fish Department to advocate for justice for Hope,” says Bahr.
“When someone poaches an elk or kills the wrong species of deer, the Arizona Game and Fish Department immediately seeks help from the public to solve the crime and when the perpetrator is identified, the department takes action. They have a trust responsibility for all of Arizona’s wildlife. We expect them to uphold that responsibility for Hope," she says.
Killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of the Federal Endangered Species Act and state law, and could result in criminal penalties of up to $50,000, and as much as a year in jail.
Wildlife managers urge anyone with information on the wolf’s death, or on individuals who may have been in the area where the wolf was found, to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.