Mexican

Wolves

Did you know? All Mexican wolves alive today can trace their roots back to the Endangered Wolf Center.

Fostering Mexican Wolves into the Wild at our Center

LEFT IN THE WILD

Pups fostered to the wild from our center

Meet Our Mexican Wolves

The Mexican wolf is a highly family-oriented animal and irreplaceable “top dog” in the ecosystems in some of the Americas’ last great wildernesses. The more we know about these keystone species and the role they play in the wild, the more we understand just how much the wild needs wolves.

Nashoba & Max’s Pack

From a distance, you might think an introvert and an extrovert just don’t mix, but our bond is strong, and we have science and innovation on our side…

 

Mack

Meet a master of the universal language of play.

Read his story.

Anna

Meet the matriarch of Mexican wolves.

Read her story.

Picaron

Ever wonder if wolves feel emotion?

Read his story.

Rogue

Rogue marked a milestone in Mexican wolf recovery.

Read her story.

Perkins

Our Puppy Naming Club was started by Betty White. Her first named pup? Perkins.

Read his story.

Read their story

The Wild Needs Mexican Wolves

Debunking the Myth of the Big, Bad Wolf

“From the Brothers Grimm to Disney, folklore makes wolves seem like villains, when historically, the wolf has been revered by early humans as skilled hunters and for the way wolves care for their families. The shift to fear and misunderstanding came about as people became more sedentary and shifted from hunters and gatherers. As our world became more industrialized and technologically advanced, we also became less in tune with nature, forgetting its importance to our health. This is why the Endangered Wolf Center’s efforts to bring the community closer to nature creates environmental stewardship for generations to come. This will not only help the wolves and wildlife but will benefit humans as well by creating a healthier environment.”

— Regina Mossotti, FWS Mexican Wolf Pup Foster Advisor

Where do Mexican wolves live?

Historically, hundreds of thousands of Mexican wolves lived throughout the southwestern United States reaching down into Mexico.

Currently, Mexican wolves live mainly in the mountain forests and scrublands of New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico.

Are Mexican wolves endangered?

With at least 241 Mexican wolves in the wild today, they’re considered critically endangered, and by the late 1970s, had become extinct in the wild, with only seven remaining wolves to launch the breeding program to save the species.

In 1998, eleven wolves were introduced to the wild, beginning the reintroduction program we take part in today.

What do Mexican wolves eat?

According to a study by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, in the US, 70% of the Mexican wolf diet is elk and the other 30% includes white tail deer and smaller prey such as rodents and javelina (a peccary species resembling a wild pig found in the Southwest).

How many Mexican wolves are in a pack?

Mexican wolves typically live in packs of 8-10 individuals, with a male and female as their pack leaders. An alpha (or leader of the pack) is typically the mother or father. They take care of and support their family.

Adopt a Mexican Wolf Pack

The Endangered Wolf Center has been pivotal in the conservation of Mexican wolves for more than 50 years. Thanks to our pioneering effort to help create innovative techniques like pup fostering, our efforts have increased the wild population by 40 pups since the inception of the program. Your symbolic adoption of our Mexican wolf pack includes a 12-month membership to the Endangered Wolf Center.

Adopt