Mexican gray wolf photo by George Andrejko, Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Update: August 11, 2012
No word on the Fox Mountain alpha female’s fate. Keep calling and emailing. If we don’t stop this travesty her pups will be orphans, the pack destroyed and a vital, critically endangered breeding female will have been removed from the wild.
From Lobos Of The Southwest
Call the White House, the USFWS Southwest Regional Office, and NM Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman now and tell them to keep the Fox Mountain alpha female in the wild with her pups!
White House number: 202-456-1111
US Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Regional Office: 505-761-4748 or 505-363-2797
Senator Tom Udall: 505-346-6791
Senator Jeff Bingaman: 505-346-6601
So many people have called that voicemails are filling up and it’s harder to get through, especially after 5 p.m. If you can’t get through by phone, you can email:
USFWS SW Regional Director Tuggle: RDTuggle@fws.gov
President Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Senator Udall: http://www.tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
Senator Bingaman: http://www.bingaman.senate.gov/contact/types/email-issue.cfm
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FROM CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
For Immediate Release, August 9, 2012
Feds to Shoot Endangered Mexican Wolf
Conservationists Decry the Senseless Killing of the Alpha Female of the Fox Mountain Pack
SILVER CITY, N.M.— The alpha female of the Fox Mountain Pack of Mexican gray wolves will be shot due to the seven-member pack preying on four head of cattle over several months. The owners of the cattle will be fully reimbursed, but the wolf family will lose their matriarch, according to a kill-order issued Wednesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to its sister agency, U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services. Last year, only 58 Mexican wolves and six breeding pairs survived in New Mexico and Arizona , their only home in the wild.
”Instead of killing this successful wolf mother, more should be done by affected ranchers to protect their livestock,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. “This kill order is a shocking return to reviled and destructive Bush administration policies toward Mexican gray wolves. Resources should be used to immediately hire a range-rider, rather than spend a greater amount of taxpayer money to shoot a radio-collared wolf in front of her pups.”
The last wolf shot in response to livestock depredations was the alpha female of the Durango Pack, killed on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico in June 2007. Her mate and pup disappeared thereafter and are presumed dead. Then-governor Bill Richardson withdrew the state’s assent to killing her and other wolves, but his message was delivered too late to save her.
“The Fox Mountain Pack is largely surviving on elk,” said Robinson. “Rare losses of livestock, whose owners are indemnified, should not be used as an excuse to resume a de facto war against the beautiful, intelligent, social and very imperiled Mexican wolf. These pups should be allowed to grow up with their mother.”
After a decades-long wolf extermination program in the United States and Mexico carried out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973 led to the rescue and captive breeding of the last five Mexican wolves in the wild in Mexico . Some of their great-grandpups were reintroduced in 1998, but the shooting of 12 wolves by the government, accidental killing of 18 more in the course of capture, and long-term incarceration of 32 other once-wild wolves has led to the population languishing and left it at risk of blinking out.
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 350,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2012/mexican-gray-wolf-08-09-2012.html
===
Please contact the USFWS immediately and tell them to leave this wolf mother alone. Her death will destroy the Fox Mountain Pack and for what? The feds have failed miserably to establish a healthy population of Mexican gray wolves, mainly because the wolves recovery area is packed with cows!! Now they want to kill a successful breeding female and orphan her pups???
Many ranchers notoriously practice the Columbus method of ranching: Turning their cattle loose in the Spring and discovering them in the Fall. Cows that drop dead out on the range can be left to rot and of course predators will be drawn to the carcass. This teaches wolves and other predators it’s OK to feed on cattle. Yet wolves show tremendous restraint and cattle losses to wolves are infinitesimal.
The Mexican gray wolf is a critically endangered sub-species of the gray wolf. Should this wolf mother die over a few cows?
===
FROM WILDEARTH GUARDIANS
URGENT ALERT:
Fish and Wildlife Plans to Kill a Female Mexican Wolf
Today or Tomorrow
Phone Calls Needed Now to Save Fox Mountain Alpha Female with Pups
The US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to shoot the Alpha Female of the Fox Mountain Mexican gray wolf pack from the air today or tomorrow for livestock depredations. At last official count, there were only 58 Mexican gray wolves in the wild, making them the most endangered mammal in north America, and the most endangered wolf in the world. Every single wild Mexican wolf is important to the wild population.
Please call now!!
If they kill this wolf, the USFWS will be depriving four pups born this summer of their mother, harming this family of wolves, and destroying one of only a few breeding pairs in the wild.
Call before it’s too late to save this wolf!
1. Please call the Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Regional Office ( 505-248-6911) and request that he rescind the kill order for the Fox Mountain alpha female. You can also send him a polite email to RDTuggle@fws.gov
2. Call President Obama and ask him for a stay of execution. White House number: 202-456-1111.
Following are some points to make:
- There are fewer than 60 Mexican wolves in the wild. Eliminating even one wolf, especially a breeding female, is detrimental to the species.
- Biologists believe this female has four pups born this spring. Killing her may doom her pups as well. Research also shows that wolves suffer trauma when their pack mates are killed.
- The affected rancher has been paid for his losses. Killing the alpha female now is unnecessary appeasement to the public lands livestock industry.
- The public lands livestock industry must learn to operate with wolves, and the federal government must support policies such as grazing retirement to permanently reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.
- Killing this wolf wastes thousands of taxpayer dollars.
If you live in any of these swing states, please call the local Obama campaign office:
Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, or Wisconsin.
You can find the nearest Obama campaign office here.
Photo: Arizona Game and Fish
Posted in: Wolf Wars, Mexican Gray Wolf
Tags: Fox Mountain Pack, alpha female, orphanwolf pups, Endangered Mexican gray wolves, USFWS, WS, Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians
Boulder White Clouds Council
Exposing The Big Game
Footloose Montana
Friends of the Clearwater
Lockwood Animal Rescue Center
Louise du Toit
LUPUSLAETUS
Mercy For Animals
Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA)
Predator Friendly®- Because Wildlife Matters
Project Coyote
Project: Wolf
The Nature Conservancy
The Ravensong Group
WildEarth Guardians
Wisconsin Wildlife Ethic-Vote Our Wildlife
Wolf And Wildlife Studies: Jay Mallonee (Independent Wolf Biologist)
Wolf Song of Alaska
Wolves in english ! Les loups en anglais !
WWP's Gray Wolf Page
Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative
Howling For Justice 
God, how awful. I’m so sick of this. Make the call people. In case they do shoot her, can the pups be rescued? Nabeki- do you know California is going to protect their wolves. Some good news. And Wisconsin has a lawsuit against the DNR. Everyone pray for this wolf and her pups.
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I’m Praying Very hard, for sure .. How is this even possible ? Can’t Anyone in authority stop this.
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God, how awful. I’m so sick of this. Make the call people. In case they do shoot her, can the pups be rescued? Did you know that California is going to protect their wolves? And here in Wisconsin there is a lawsuit against the DNR for allowing the use of dogs. Simply barbaric.
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I will call both in morn. – hope not to late – I just checked mail. Calif. is NOT protecting Wolves – yet! ” F&G will decide @future meeting whether to officially protect the gray wolf – the agency is acting on a petition for listing filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups Some are concerned that cattle ranchers might view the Wolf, known as OR-7, as a potential threat to livestock.” from today’s Chronicle. F&G commission also replaced the fat, white jerk that went to Idaho and killed a beautiful, healthy Mountain Lion and posted his picture showing his kill – he remains a member ’til term expires in Jan. – I would love to see this fat slob chased by pack of dogs and treed and …
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Sounds right to me!!! I read all about him (Richardson?). Killing a beautiful mt lion and PROUD. Just another trophy hunter!
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I would love to be able to help in some way, but for people who are not U.S, citizens our hands are effectively tied. No petition exists that we can sign, and your links to other governmental bodies excludes us too. I’m sure that I speak for many when I say that this is an issue that is not the exclusive province of American citizens. Wolves are a treasure of the world, and an inheritance that we bequeath to all our children. Please find a way to include us all in this fight to save the life of this and so many other wolves.
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Sylvi, thanks so much for your excellent post. Support from all over the world is vital. Wildlife is part of the Earth we share. I have a pro wolf petition on-line that will soon be at 5,000 signers from all over the world! I warmly welcome you to google: Protect America’s Wolves! Sign the petition and share it with your friend from everywhere and again, thank you.
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WILL CALL TOMORROW!!!!! grrrrrr….. this makes my blood boil…
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There is a sickness running amuck within the governments and their friends and cronies to slaughter the wolf. There is no comprehensible reason for such murder and mayhem. Most people love and respect the wolf and are grateful for them as they keep our Eco system in balance. I think that there is dirty money in this barbaric slaughtering and it all stems from our illustrious leader, Obama. God, please…get rid of him.
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Just called them both. Ben Tuggle was unavailable (in d.c.), but I did leave a message for him. I also left a message for Tom somebody who is the public relations person, and for Sherry somebody who is the Mexican Grey Wolf Recovery co-ordinator…. also, posting to H.O.W.L. now… Blessings.
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If the ranchers cared about their cattle they would take better care of them, not leave them on the range unprotected from many dangers and illness. There are nonlethal measures they could take to ward off wolves, but most of the cattle guys don’t seem interested. Killing is easier.
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I just called and left messages at WH (joke) and Sherry ‘assistant coordinator’ for Mexican Grey Wolf recovery (another joke) oh and by the way she is out of town!!!! Oh, I am trying like all of you- it is so very distressing. We just kill everything and for what – ranchers and hunters and sportsmen – livestock does way more harm to our environment than wolves ever would. I
cannot bear to think about the upcoming hunting season… keep on praying as it keeps from giving up. I don’t know what is wrong with this world any more but we are going backwards. The sense of entitlement are messed up…
Peace
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I called and finally got through to a White House operator but I’m not feeling hopeful about how much good it will do. I also left a message at Mr. Tuggle’s office with the same bleak feeling. I wonder sometimes if the messages ever even get through physically, much less mentally.
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I was wondering when they’d get around to trying to ruin this small pack. They’ve been reimbursed for their loss of only four cattle and that should be enough. Cattle loss is part of doing business if you are a rancher. This animal is endangered. I hope someone files a lawsuit. And I can’t wait to boot some of these fools out of office in November.
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Great post, Ida!
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Take every action NOW, right now, that is suggested and spread the word to all your friends and family. I made my calls to USFWS and just forwarded a link to this page to approx fifty good people. Please do the same with your network now. Also, google: Protect America’s Wolves! to sign my wolf petition and let folks know about it. Thanks, Nabeki, for posting news of this beatiful female alpha wolf to your site!! Please everyone, do your part now.
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Just signed your petition. You’re getting close to your current goal!
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Thanks for signing the Protect America’s Wolves! petition, Marcia! I am aiming for tens of thousands of signers and perhaps even more! There is alot of respect and love for wolves out there and that love is growing every day. Watch for Action Updates that I email to ALL petition signers every week. Taking action is central to successfully defending and protecting America’s wolves. As long as we keep fighting and never give up, our side will prevail.
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You’re very welcome Robert. We’re all in this together trying to save these magnificent animals from another extermination. I would be willing to post your petition to re-list.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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Hi Nabeki, Thanks for your kind reply. I would be happy if you posted my Protect America’s Wolves! petition to your excellent blog and wherever else you wish. It will totally complement Louise’s wonderful Re-list Wolves petition. One of the super things about doing a petition thru SignOn is that when each person signs the petition, an email is automatically generated and sent to the signer’s US Rep, both their US Senators and the White House, including the comments the signer shared. So between Protect America’s Wolves! and Re-list Wolves, that is almost 10,000 pro-wolf messages to the White House and to US reps and senators around the US. And wolf friends from around the world are also being heard by the White House! We cannot be ignored for much longer. Wolf friends are growing more powerful every day. We will ultimately Protect America’s Wolves!
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This is just a lie and an excuse to destroy the pack by taking the Alpha female so the pack can no longer breed and any pups will die. How do we bring a lawsuit?
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Ida…you are so right. The government has failed utterly to protect these animals and kick the cows out of their recovery area. Killing the alpha female will destroy the pack and that will be one less breeding female. Tuggle needs to step up and stop this travesty. I’m sick of hearing about dead or soon to be dead wolves. These wolves are highly endangered.
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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I’ll keep trying to call – haven’t been able to get through. Their cattle loss is probably due to the drought. Such an entrenchment of dishonesty and thuggery. How much longer will our country continue with an appeasement policy with these cattle ranchers.
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I just called the Office of Dr. Tuggle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and there is a representative taking calls now. They were very nice. I also called the White House and a representative said they would put the message on the President’s desk. Maybe there is hope. I told them we are sick and tired of the way animals are treated and the wildlife are ours, that decisions such as this should not be left to ranchers.
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I posted the following to Mr. Tuggle
America’s historical background is one of conquest and slaughter of both peoples and other animals, including, and of special import to wolf predation, the American Bison. Bison roamed in herds so great naught else was visible on open plains. The European shot and left for dead millions upon millions upon millions. They rotted where they fell. Bison hindered European land control and fed indigenous peoples who were to be wiped out. Instead of ancient civilizations we now have the descendants of those who took America for their own. In modern times, First Nations peoples who had been relegated to small holdings are increasingly exposed to nuclear waste. (HealthNewsDigest.com) – ‘Native tribes across the American West have been and continue to be subjected to significant amounts of radioactive and otherwise hazardous waste as a result of living near nuclear test sites, uranium mines, power plants and toxic waste dumps… and in some cases tribes host hazardous waste on their sovereign reservations—which are not subject to the same environmental and health standards as U.S. land—to generate revenues…’ a deliberate injustice continuing the American historical relationship to the land, to First Nations, and to all that live on the land, the remaining wildlife, and the vast majority of American citizens who are not privileged in the New World market economy. In place of Bison we have agribusiness, cows raised and slaughtered in fabulous numbers. Cows account for one third of the world’s methane emissions. In fact, December 2006, the United nations Food & Agricultural Association issued a statement…’The world’s 1.5 billion cows were worse than all the cars, planes, and all other forms pf transportation put together. Methane gas heats the atmosphere twenty-times more than carbon dioxide…’ We seem to multiply our errors.
‘You know the line up of facts.
There are fewer than 60 Mexican wolves in the wild. Eliminating even one wolf, especially a breeding female, is detrimental to the species.
This female has four pups born in spring. If she’s killed her pups will die.
Research shows wolves suffer trauma when their pack mates are killed. Wolves are as true to their packs quite as the best human family.
The affected rancher has been paid for his losses. Killing the alpha female now is unnecessary appeasement to the public lands livestock industry.
To be a responsible member of a wider community, the public lands livestock industry must learn to operate with wolves and the federal government must support policies such as grazing retirement to permanently reduce wolf-livestock conflicts.
In every way, the livestock industry of the U.S. must question, revise and transform, for the sake of the common good. As well, we must learn from the people we so cruelly slaughtered for indigenous peoples understood that which our scientists are now learning. There is an interdependency among all living things. The wild needs the wolves and we need the wilds. A wolf like a tree is a neighbour.
Mr. Tuggle you no doubt live comfortably within the existing American system. But if we cannot respect and protect the rights of our neighbours, our rights, privileges and just expectations for fair treatment are at risk. If we cannot extend justice to the least we cannot claim to live justly.
I therefore request you stop the killing of the Fox Mountain alpha female.
Coriolis
For the Wolves
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Coriolis, absolutely excellent post. Every word you wrote is true, historically, ecologically and ethically. The US was founded in massive exploitation and endless greed and through massacre of both native people and native wildlife. It is truly horrifying and sickening that so many of the descendants of the original thieves and killers still have no sense of humility, justice or generosity, hundreds of years after the crimes of their ancestors against native people and wildlife. That’s why our side will not quit until we finally create a new day of justice and atonement.
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When I called Dr. Tuggle’s office at 3:30 PM the voicemail box was full and an automated voice told me, “Ext. o is unavailable; goodbye!”. And, I was to late to get a call into Washington, D.C. Our president selected Ken Salazar to continue as his Sec. of the Interior, pretty much turning a blind eye to the man’s policies and methods for ‘managing’ wild life. To me this is akin to Mitt Romney’s desire to sell this country out and destroy our people financially. By the grace of God we survived the Great Depression and FDR’s predecessors. My fervent hope and prayer is that that same divine grace and mercy will keep this mother wolf and her pups alive and safe from the world’s #1 predator….man!
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Yes, the same thing happened to me when I tried calling Dr. Tuggle’s office (several times)…box full 2 days in a row. I tried sending an emailed letter which strangley failed although I re-checked the address. I had similar results for other states in the past and wonder if this is intentional on the part of these organizations.
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Tallulah, I believe that part of it is definitely intentional. The heartless arrogance of the native wildlife killer Salazar and the support he has from his city slicker, cold hearted boss Obama, is at the root of shutting the door to us, the humane majority. But that is changing quckly. More of us are getting through. Our enemies, the criminal wolf killers, are coming to realize that shutting us out is not so easy and far sooner than later is going to cost them politically. Our numbers are becoming too significant to be ignored. If they dare to kill this alpha female for no reason other than hatred and wicked control, this will be the last straw. Four cattle deaths over a period of months, with full federal welfare compensation payments to the rancher, is surely no reason… that even a school child will understand. I predict that this execution, if the morons are stupid enough to do it, will be the beginning of the end for the federal welfare cattlemen, the mentally ill trappers and sport killers. Americans, from six year olds to hundred year olds, are going to hear of this vicious, senseless crime against an innocent and beautiful wolf mom and this will accelerate the humane revolution that has already begun throughout the country.
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I don’t believe that Salazar has the the support from his city slicker, cold hearted boss Obama, simply because the president isn’t that way. He’s trying to put out far too many fires at once and move this country forward, yet in all of his efforts he doesn’t take the time needed to attend to our wildlife nor our wildlands! Salazar takes full advantage knowing the president isn’t taking the time to look into what the Secretary is doing because he hasn’t the luxary of that extra time. Obama, not governors, senators, or representatives, is who we need to wake up. If he can be brought to see what Sec. Salazar does on a daily basis I believe he will appoint a new secretary. God help us all if Romney becomes president. He doesn’t care about people, let alone animals of any kind!!!
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I called; couldn’t get through; called the Obama office here in south FL and got nowhere, wrote Tuttle how I felt; that it would be a travesty to kill yet another wolf, a Mexican wolf!, etc…..called the White House to no avail….
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if you thnk bad now – imagine a republican in office – and w/ a vp who is an avid hunter w/ bow (if you can call that horrible looking killing machine a bow!) and arrow – just showed picture of the asshole(Ryan) on news w’ a dead “trophy” in his lap – grinning!The Wolves and all animals that the ranchers, livestock killers and wackos @nra don’t like will be killed, along w/ drill, baby, drill! No one cares – look @latest in that polluted state of Louisana -sink-hole – you know it is not a natural disaster and you know some chemical or other pollutting co. caused the problem, but “they” want to put the EPA out of business and eliminate regulations and kill all the animals that get in way. go figure!
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I called Tuggles office and talked to a very nice person. She even said they would call me back. I gave her both my ph# and e-mail. She gave me Sherry Bennet ?- ph. #. I left a message. I’m getting to the point where I wish every cow would drop over dead.
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“Thumbs Up”!!
For the wolves, For the wild ones,
Nabeki
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If Obama ever comes out there go to the rally and hold up a sign that says wolf killer. Or some messge that will get his attention. Which is the problem. It’s not reaching his attention. Do the same to cowboy Kenny.
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Bobette…If Obama gets re-elected the grizzlies are next. Salazar recently announced he wants Yellowstone grizzlies delisted by 2014.
N.
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All politicians are in the palms of the ranchers and trophy hunters. This is not a party thing; it is disgusting!!! It is a travesty of justice for animals to be KILLED due to the arrogance of man. How does re-listing work? What can we do other than all that we do? Salazar should (&*#^$^%*#( along with every other person who has no regard for the life of an animal.
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Are not the Democrats worried Obama may not make it for a second term out there? And with Ryan, good grief, only we know the truth about him. John Tester that ass is an oxymoron. He appeals to the racist hunters but then supports Obama. Redneck hunters are Repubs. They won’t vote Obama. All of this for an ugly,flat top Montana Senator. Wait til Ryan shows his destructive Medicare plans. People will die. DIE!
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At Mexican gray wolves, they believe the Fox Mountain mother wolf is still live, Hope … Let’s keep the heat on…
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Great work,Everyone, the order was rescended. Some help me out here.I am bad on the computer.
[http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_21291646/feds-rescind-order-shoot-mexican-gray-wolf]
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I just read your post about the rescending of the Mexican Gray Wolf Female… but if they take her into captivity, what happens to her pups????
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Good queston.Will try to get more info if or when I can.
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I should say, on the whole,wolf packs are familiy orientated,if the pups are weaned ,their pack family will look after them.It is not a perfect ending and we need to be vigilent for this pack and for all wolves, here in the United States and our friends abroad.
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Why can’t we just leave these beautiful animals alone?
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This is horrible! Mexican Wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) already face enough problems with illegal poaching (and, perhaps, even from inbreeding), and they certainly do not need more killing in the form of depredation control! The killing of even one wolf will negatively effect this very small population of approximately 60 wolves, especially if the individual killed is a breeding female!
This subspecies of wolf should not be considered “experimental, nonessential.” Mexican Wolves are CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, and as such every population (and individual) is essential for the species’ survival! They should have the full protection of the Endangered Species Act; they should be classified as “endangered,” and nothing else (unless a “critically endangered” or equivalent category is created for the ESA)! The same applies to Red Wolves and all other critically endangered species and subspecies.
I really hope that the USFWS decides to change their mind and not kill the alpha female of the Fox Mountain Pack. I hope that they decide to take her into captivity instead. Although not the best solution, it is much better than killing her! Or, better yet, decide to let her live in the wild and come up with some other solution to the depredation problem, such as educating the rancher (actually, this should occur no matter what they decide to do with the wolf).
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