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The management of feral horses and burros in the American West has been a heated national debate for decades.  Horses and burros have been cast as a symbol and the heart of America’s pioneering spirit of the Wild West.  Horses and burros have been protected under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act since 1971 and under federal management of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.  These agencies are tasked with managing horses and burros in a thriving ecological balance with the land as part of the natural landscape.  There are many challenges with managing these animals on public lands where the land is under a variety of uses, from cattle grazing to recreation.  Proponents against wild horse protection see the animals as damaging to the ecological resources of the West as well as an expensive venture for the American public in terms of control and management.  Horse advocates and conservationists see them as a part of America’s history and in need of protection and preservation. 

• Evolution of the Equid in the Americas
• Current Wild Horse and Burro Management Strategies
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Myth and Facts
• The Great Debate: Public Response to Wild Horse and Burro Management
• Wild Horse and Burro Program (BLM)
• Wild Horse and Burro Program History
• Wild Horses and Burro YouTube Playlist

When the wolves (Canis lupus) were listed as endangered in 1978, only several hundred wolves were present in Minnesota and a small number of wolves in Wisconsin and Michigan.  The recovery strategy in this Midwest region focused on expanding the healthy population from the Minnesota-Canadian border and establishing one or two additional populations in the three-state area.  Wolves in this region were removed from the endangered species list in 2011 when the population was more than 3,600 in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
 

• Gray Wolves in the Western Great Lakes States Program

Red wolves (Canis rufus) were listed as endangered in 1967.  Recovery efforts attempted to locate the rare (perhaps nonexistent) wild red wolves in the southeastern United States.  Instead, coyotes (which share a home range with the red wolf) with the strongest red wolf characteristics were bred in a captive breeding program and released on the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.  This Wildlife Refuge is located on an island, which helps to avoid hybridization with coyotes.  As of 2014, there are about 100 red wolves in the wild. "Red Wolf Howl" by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters is licensed to CC BY 2.0

• Red Wolf Recovery Program

In the Northern Rocky Mountains, wolves (Canis lupus) had been eliminated, but there were healthy populations across the border to Canada.  The recovery strategy for the region was to relocate wild wolves from Canada into suitable habitats in central Idaho (35 animals) and Yellowstone National Park (31 animals).  The original goal of the recovery program was three populations of 150 wolves.  The Northern gray wolf was removed from the endangered species list in 2012, at which time there were thought to be 1,774 wild wolves living in three genetically connected populations.  "The Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center" by whalt  is licensed by CC BY 2.0.
 

• Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains

Genetic testing indicates the eastern wolf is a member of the red wolf-coyote lineage rather than a subspecies of the gray wolf.  This classification has brought about a proposal to separate the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) from the gray wolf.  This wolf has extensively hybridized with wolves in the western Great Lakes region and also hybridized with coyotes in the eastern Great Lakes region.

 

Amber Dalke is a Senior Research Specialist in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona.  Ms. Dalke is an active member of the Rangelands Partnership and works on the website redesign in addition to maintaining content for the Mexican Gray Wolf Hot Topic.  Outside of the Rangelands Partnership, Ms. Dalke is interested in rangeland ecology and management.  Her primary research topic is evaluating the effects of fire on subalpine montane grasslands in the White Mountains, as well as Madrean evergreen woodlands and semidesert grasslands in the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona.

Edited by George B. Ruyle (Professor, University of Arizona) and Brian R. Anderson (University of Arizona). Additional input provided by Michael Borman (Associate Department Head, Oregon State University), Amy Ganguli (Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University), Cody Sheehy (University of Arizona), Andrew Caven (M.S., Washington State University), and Ashley Hall (Research Specialist, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension).

There are many questions surrounding the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program.  This section aims to answer commonly asked questions.

Mexican Gray Wolf and Human Interaction

Q: Has a Mexican gray wolf attacked a human?
A: No, there have been no incidents of a free-ranging Mexican gray wolf attacking or injuring a person.  In fact, no wolf has attacked a human in the lower 48 states.  There have been wolf attacks and deaths in Alaska and Canada.  Wolves are wild animals and it is best to avoid when possible.  More information on wolf/human interactions and attacks on people.

Q: Are Mexican gray wolves more dangerous to people since they are handled more regularly by humans than other wolf populations?
A: Biologists look for avoidance and fear of humans as one of the primary characteristics when selecting Mexican gray wolves for release.  Before release, wolves are managed with minimal exposure to humans and conditioned to become more fearful of humans.  

Q: If a Mexican gray wolf is threatening a person or family pet, can the wolf be killed?
A: If a person is attacked by any endangered species, including a Mexican gray wolf, the animal can be taken (killed).  If a family pet is attacked by a Mexican gray wolf, or any endangered species, the wolf cannot be taken.  More information on legal and illegal activity.

Q: If a Mexican gray wolf dies on a person’s property, is that person liable for the death of the animals?
A: A wildlife autopsy is performed on all deceased Mexican gray wolves.  If the death is ruled suspicious, then the incident will be investigated to determine how the wolf died.

Mexican Gray Wolf Maximum Numbers

Q:  Is there a maximum number of wolves that will be allowed in the wild?
A: There is currently no cap on the total number of Mexican gray wolves in the wild. Like most predator-prey relationships, the number of wolves is influenced by elk populations.  Initial research has found that 3 wolves per 1000 elk is sustainable for elk.  Given Arizona’s elk population, the number of wolves that could be maintained is about 150.  With the current Mexican wolf populations (at least 83 wolves), elk populations have not been impacted. More information on the Mexican gray wolf and the elk population.

Mexican Gray Wolf Health

Q: Do the Mexican gray wolves have infectious diseases that could transfer to humans, pets, or livestock?
A: Mexican gray wolves released into the wild are vaccinated against diseases and, once in the wild, the animals are intensively monitored for diseases and parasites.  Like other wildlife, Mexican wolves are susceptible to many of the same diseases that can affect domestic dogs, coyotes, or other members of the dog family. More information on the Mexican gray wolf and infectious disease.

Q: What can be done about the genetic diversity problem?
A: Expanding the release area to parts of the Tonto and Gila National Forests would allow more genetically diverse animals from the captive breeding population into the wild population.  Another strategy for increasing diversity is cross-fostering, which moves very young pups from one litter to a different, similar-age litter with the hope that the receiving pack will raise the young as their own.  More information on cross-fostering.

Mexican gray wolf recovery is an issue that crosses international borders.  Historically, about 90 percent of the Mexican gray wolves home range was in Mexico.  The Mexican gray wolf population was centered in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico.  The home range went as far south as Oaxaca (located in southwestern Mexico) and as far north as southeastern Arizona. 

Similar to the United States, Mexican gray wolves were eradicated due to conflicts with livestock populations and only a few animals remained by the 1960s.  A decade later, Mexican gray wolves were only found in a few locations in the states of Durango and Zacatacas and none remained in the United States.  To prevent extinction, Mexico and the United States began a captive breeding program

Agencies in Mexico have been created with the aim to reestablish wild Mexican wolves from the captive breeding population, educate the public, and conduct research.  One program aimed at wolf reintroduction is the Technical Advisory Subcommittee for the Recovery of the Mexican Wolf.  This group created the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Mexican Wolf in 1999 (similar to the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan in the United States) and established 17 facilities to breed Mexican wolves.  These facilities have produced more than 70 Mexican gray wolves.

Mexico is in the initial stages of returning wolves into the wild using the animals from the captive breeding program.  Sites in northern Mexico were selected as release locations based on research on habitat, prey availability, and public perceptions about the Mexican gray wolf.  In all, ten Mexican gray wolves have been released.  Telemetry collars, loaned from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, allowed for monitoring of the wolves.  Of the released wolves, 4 or 5 animals are still living.  Five wolves were killed immediately following release by warfarin, a blood thinner that is commonly used as a poison.  Despite this setback, the Mexican conservation officials are monitoring and planning future steps to ensure the survival of the Mexican gray wolf in this historic home range.

There are challenges facing the program.  There is little to no public land and many private land owners are hesitant or reluctant to allow releases and wolf populations on their land.  Many ranchers are also uninterested in the return of a predator that could affect their livestock populations.  Despite this, estimates show that up to 2,600 Mexican gray wolves may be sustained within the habitat available in Mexico, if human persecution is significantly reduced. 

References

• Questions Regarding Consequences of Release of Mexican Wolves in Mexico - February 2010.
• Mexican Authorities to Release Mexican Wolves in Sonora - Mexican authorities plan to release five Mexican wolves in September 2011 at an undisclosed ranch located in northeastern Sonora, Mexico.
• Warfarin Caused Deaths - February 2012.