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Arizona

Arizona at a glance

The Mexican gray wolf once roamed throughout most of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico; however, persecution and, eventually, poisoning began shortly after European settlement.  On March 29, 1998, eleven captive-reared wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area. This reintroduced population is shared by Arizona and New Mexico.  Main prey for wolves there are elk, deer and domestic livestock.  Much controversy surrounds these wolves, due in large part to depredation (killing livestock) issues.  Wolves in Arizona range in less than 5 percent of the map shown.  Range lines are not depicted.

Species Information

Species
Common Names: gray wolf, maicoh (Navajo), tasha (Caddo), lobo (Spanish)
Latin Name: Canis lupus

Subspecies
Common Name: Mexican wolf
Latin Name: Canis lupus baileyi


Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: 42, in shared population with New Mexico
Population trend: Varies depending on status of new releases
Legal status: Federal protection, with some exceptions

Human Relationships

History
Information related to the history of wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.

Recovery & Management
Information related to legal status, regulations and management plans and practices in Arizona and New Mexico.

Depredation
Information related to depredation issues, compensation and prevention in Arizona and New Mexico.

Wolf-Human Interactions
Information related to safety, hunting competition with humans, ecotourism, and tips for coexisting with wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.

Related Links & Information
Informatin or links to other groups or agencies in this region related to the relationship between wolves and humans in Arizona and New Mexico.

Ecology

Biology
Descriptions of species/subspecies present: physiology and unique characteristics as well as information related to distribution of wolves in Arizona and New Mexico.