Rather than removing any more Prieto wolves, the federal agencies should recognize that this is a problem grazing allotment, remove the livestock instead of disrupting this struggling family of wolves, and let the wolves be wolves.
Mexican wolf - photo: Jeffrey St. Clair
Wolves are smart, family-oriented animals and science demonstrates that
problems with livestock increase following wolf removals. So why does the
government keep removing wolves in response to conflict with livestock and
hope that solves the same problem?
Right now, in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, there is a wolf family that
is facing a huge amount of hostility for their ongoing conflicts with public
lands livestock grazing operations. But before the Fish and Wildlife Service
decides to remove or kill any more wolves, it should first consider the
human-caused adversity that these wolves are facing.
Despite the protections of the Endangered Species Act ostensibly afforded to
lobos, a shocking number in the Prieto Pack have been killed, removed, and
maimed by people. In November 2018, a young female from the pack was found
dead, and the incident is still under investigation. In December 2018, a
male and female were seen dragging private traps on their legs and then
caught and removed from the wild by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The
female died in captivity and the male lost his leg.
Another Prieto male was found dead in February 2019, and in March, the Fish
and Wildlife Service removed two young wolves from this family, only one of
whom was released back to the wild. And then, in November 2019, two more
Prieto wolf pups were trapped by a private trapper, and one subsequently
lost her foot when the trap fell off; the other was taken into captivity for
veterinary care and released in December. And these are just the incidents
we know of; other wolves from the pack may have been illegally killed but
remain unfound or unidentified. (All of these incidents are reported in the
monthly reports posted by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.)
Killing or permanently capturing wolves rarely solves more problems than it
creates. Wolves are social animals and family is everything. A mix of
accidental or illegal killings and injuries, untimely dispersals and
disappearances, and vulnerable livestock in the woods in winter is a recipe
for conflict. At least three wolf packs use this same territory in the Gila,
demonstrating that it is prime wolf habitat, and maybe not such a great
place for livestock.
The Prieto Pack is currently under fire for preying on livestock at the same
ranch in the same problematic part of the Gila National Forest as last year.
There’s talk of removing some of the family members in the interest of
conflict reduction. It’s clear that manipulation of this family is at least
part of the reason that they are preying on livestock as opposed to native
prey, and contrary to established science, the agency thinks doing more of
the same will solve the problem.
History is repeating itself, but the Fish and Wildlife Service can change
this story. Rather than removing any more Prieto wolves, the federal
agencies should recognize that this is a problem grazing allotment, remove
the livestock instead of disrupting this struggling family of wolves, and
let the wolves be wolves.
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