Update courtesy Patrick C. Valentino of the Julian Wolf Preserve

December 10, 1998

     This report was posted today by USFWS. There has been some conflicting statements about whether future releases have been halted. To my knowledge they are still on subject to some qualifying information below. I will pass on more information as I find out. If anyone has more information please forward.

     (Note: the Ladder Ranch facility mentioned is part of the Ted Turner Endangered Species Fund. That private foundation is also a participant in the Mexican Wolf SSP.)

Pat Valentino

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     On November 23, the alpha male from the Hawks Nest Pack (#131) was captured without injury in a foothold trap and placed in the Campbell Blue acclimation pen with a two-year old female wolf (#486) transferred from a pre-acclimation facility on the Ladder Ranch.

     The Campbell Blue male (#166) has been in an acclimation pen at Engineer Springs with his new mate (two-year old female #482) since November 18.

     The purpose of capturing the males was to facilitate pair-bonding with the new females after the loss of their mates. If the pair bonds are successful, we expect that the transition of the new females to the wild will be aided by the experience of the males, both of whom have been successfully living and hunting in the wild for several months.

     On the same day, November 23, the remaining male yearling from the Hawks Nest Pack (#531) was found shot to death on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. This male had traveled to the reservation on several occasions and appeared to be establishing a home range in a remote area. He appeared to be in good body condition when he was killed. Law enforcement personnel are investigating this and the shootings of four other Mexican wolves that have occurred since August. At this time there are no free-ranging Mexican wolves. The four in acclimation pens and others will be released pending evaluation of their behavior, local prey and weather conditions, and assesment of additional measures to protect wolves from illegal killing.