MEXICAN GRAY WOLF
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION/FACTS
Mexican gray wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) are critically endangered—approximately 251 are currently documented in the wild. This gray wolf sub-species, often called a Lobo is a component of the Species Survival Plan; an act initiated for endangered animals such as the Mexican gray wolf. Mexican wolves weigh 50-80 lbs and stand approximately 2 feet tall. Their diet consists of ungulates, small rodents, and javelina.
Mexican wolves are found in the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona. Mexican wolves also inhabit a pocket of northern Mexico.
THREATS & HISTORY
Mexican wolves face challenges such as illegal poaching. Mexican gray wolves had been eradicated from the United States in the early 1930s. Even in areas where they were protected. However, the Mexican gray wolf was relisted and classified as endangered in 1976. In 1982, the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan began. In 1998, 11 Mexican wolves were returned to Arizona and New Mexico after a nearly 30-year-long absence.
