100th Mexican Wolf Pup Fostered!

Once common throughout parts of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico, the Mexican wolf was all but eliminated from the wild by the 1970s due to conflicts with livestock. In 1976, the Mexican wolf was listed as endangered and a binational captive breeding program was initiated soon after to save this unique gray wolf from extinction. In 1998, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service released the first captive Mexican wolves into the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area in Arizona and New Mexico. Absent from the landscape for over 30 years, the resounding howl of the endangered Mexican wolf could once again be heard in the mountains of the Southwest.
Fostering is an innovative technique used by the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program to increase genetic diversity in wild Mexican wolf population in the United States. Fostering begins with carefully managed breeding by the Mexican Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program to produce genetically diverse pups within the captive population. Within 14 days of whelping (being born), the captive-born pups are transported to the wild and mixed together with similarly aged wild pups. The surrogate wild wolf parents raise the new pups as if they were a part of the original litter. These surrogate parents are usually experienced and have successfully raised litters in the past. Read more about our Mexican Wolf Recovery fostering program at www.fws.gov/story/mexican-wol...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage. www.fws.gov