Outrage As U.S. Government Kills Two Endangered Wolves...

Outrage As U.S. Government Kills Two Endangered Wolves—A Pregnant Mother & An Alpha Male.

 

In a stunning and infuriating act of negligence, the U.S. government has killed a critically important member of the already fragile Mexican gray wolf population, a collared, presumed pregnant breeding female known as AF1823, or Asiza, as named by schoolchildren. She was just seven years old.

Her death occurred under the pretense of a removal order issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for an uncollared wolf from the Bear Canyon Pack in Arizona, allegedly due to livestock depredation on public lands. Yet, somehow, despite clear documentation that the breeding female was not to be targeted, Asiza was killed on April 14th, ten days after the order explicitly stated that she should be protected.

Adding to the heartbreak, the USFWS also authorized the killing of Viento, the breeding male of the Hail Canyon Pack in New Mexico.

His death is a devastating blow to this already fragile wolf family, likely leaving behind orphaned young and a vulnerable litter of pups. The loss of these two endangered Mexican gray wolves, a pregnant mother and a pack leader, is nothing short of tragic.

“Asiza’s death is a huge setback,” Leslie Williams and Samantha Attwood, founding members of Team Wolf, told WAN. “She was a 7-year-old wolf, a pregnant mother, and a vital member of her pack. With so few Mexican gray wolves left in the wild, each life carries so much weight, and avoidable “mistakes” like these are another sobering reminder of how fragile recovery truly is. This tragedy must result in actual improvements in how these incredible and endangered animals are protected going forward.”

The survival of the Bear Canyon Pack depends on its breeding female. Her loss is not just personal, it is existential. The painstaking work of recovery for the Mexican gray wolf, one of the most endangered subspecies of wolves in North America, has been dealt another blow by the very agency charged with its protection.

The underlying issue concerns livestock grazing on public lands—shared resources that belong to everyone, not just ranchers. These wolves, native to the Southwest, are vital components of the ecosystem, not outsiders. Yet, they are often targeted, marginalized, and killed for just trying to survive.

“Asiza’s death is devastating, both for her family and for her endangered species. Mexican gray wolves already face countless threats to their survival—killing at the hands of the federal government, the very government tasked with their protection, shouldn’t be one of those threats. We demand accountability,” Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center, told WAN.

“The killing of Viento is, quite frankly, infuriating and counterproductive. As partners in the Mexican Wolf SAFE Program, we trust the federal government with the well-being of wolves that are released from our care. Viento was the adoptive father of a Mexican gray wolf named Slides, born at the Wolf Conservation Center in 2023 and introduced into the Hail Canyon pack that year through a pup foster,” said Downey. “How does the killing of his father ensure the well-being of Slides? His own survival just became much more challenging, which begs the question—who is protecting these animals?

According to the Wolf Conservation Center, the Mexican gray wolf is the most genetically distinct gray wolf in the Western Hemisphere and one of North America’s most endangered mammals. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning had wiped out the species in the wild, leaving only a few in captivity. Thanks to a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act, they returned to the wild in 1998. However, today, only 286 remain in a single wild population in the United States.

The tragic deaths of Asiza and Viento must not be forgotten in the wave of news cycles. The public is rightfully demanding answers, and justice must be served for all wolves who have been unjustly killed. Asiza and Viento should be seen as symbols that underscore the urgent need for reform within this flawed system.

 

Source: worldanimalnews