In July, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico stood up for wolves by issuing a temporary ban on traps and snares in the Mexican wolf recovery area. Governor Richardson said he wanted wolves to “survive and flourish.”
The feds need to provide leadership for wolves alongside Governor Richardson.
For Mexican wolves to flourish, after a long history of intolerance and persecution, they need a strong federal safety net, coupled with protections at the state level. You can help increase legal safeguards for Mexican wolves by asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase Endangered Species Act protections for these animals by listing them under the Act separately from other wolves.
And the Mexican wolf urgently needs upgraded protections. Just this year, at least three endangered lobos were shot by a serial killer – or killers. As of December 2009 there were only 42 wolves surviving in the wild. At the end of 2010, that count may be even lower.
Sadly, the Mexican wolf’s scant numbers have emboldened its critics, who went to court in August, arguing for even less protection for this endangered carnivore.
Urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to maximize legal protections for the lobo in the face of this intolerance.
The Wolf Preservation Blog 