Update courtesy Patrick C. Valentino of the Julian Wolf Preserve

March 25, 1999

This is the latest regular report on the status of all wolves from USFWS. There is no additional information regarding the pup found dead on March 21.

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Mexican Wolf Reintroduction Update March 7 – March 22, 1999

Campbell Blue Pack (CB):

The pair has remained together since their release in December. They have been expanding their range to the west of their Engineer Springs pen release site.

Hawks Nest Pack (HN)

The pair remains in the Campbell Blue pen and appear to be doing fine.

Pipestem Pack:

On the morning of March 15, biologists opened the release gate on the Turkey Creek acclimation pen. All wolves had left the acclimation pen by the following day. The alpha pair and one of the pups have been exploring the surrounding area but remain in the general vicinity of the pen. Carcasses have been left for them near their acclimation pen. One of the female pups seems to be traveling more widely than the rest of the pack, and on several occasions project personnel were unable to locate her. She is with her pack as of this writing. The other female pup, # 563, was found dead by a passing motorist along highway #191 on March 21. The wolf's remains have been sent to the Service's National Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon for necropsy to establish the cause of death.

Gavilan Pack (formerly known as Strayhorse Pack)

We changed the name of this pack to avoid confusion between pen site names and areas the animals might occupy. Gavilan is the name of a drainage in the Apache National Forest. Aldo Leopold wrote about the Gavilan River drainage in Mexico, which contains some of the best remaining Mexican wolf habitat in the country. The five-member Gavilan pack was removed from the Engineer Springs pen on February 22 because of fence fighting with the free-ranging Campbell Blue pair. Three members of the Gavilan pack have been returned to the recovery area and placed in an experimental acclimation pen site near Coalson Peak. The new pen is constructed of heavy-gauge nylon mesh reinforced with electric fencing. If this new technique is successful, it will enhance our ability to acclimate wolves in remote and wilderness locations.

The Gavilan pack now consists of alpha male #183 , alpha female #168, and one male pup (#555). The remaining male (#556) and female (#554) pups from the original pack will live together in captivity until they are old enough to be paired with mates. The male pup is recovering well from foot injuries sustained during the fence-fighting incident.

     The above summary is provided by the USFWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Team. Call the toll-free number at (888) 459-9653 to report suspected livestock depredation or incidents of take or harassment of wolves. The reintroduction is a multi-agency cooperative effort (US Fish & Wildlife Service, Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Game and Fish Department, USDA-Wildlife Services, US Forest Service).