A United States federal agency issued authorization to shoot and kill an endangered Mexican gray wolf in the Southwest this summer. Advocates condemned the "lethal removal" of a female pup, sanctioned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and called for an additional kill order to be revoked.

What's happening?

According to the Arizona Republic, it was a series of "at least 14 confirmed and probable wolf-livestock conflicts" that prompted a decision from FWS to authorize the killing of a Mexican gray wolf in New Mexico this August.

"Wildlife Services personnel lethally removed the uncollared wolf using a firearm out of an agency contracted aircraft," wrote Joe Grant of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on August 13 in a memo later shared by the advocacy group the Center for Biological Diversity. "The Dillion Mountain uncollared wolf was taken on Forest Service lands."

An August 21 press release from the Center for Biological Diversity identified the wolf as a 3-month-old female pup. 

"Gunning down a wolf pup from the air whose precious genes could have helped save her entire subspecies was cruel and will further stall recovery of these animals," said the CBD's Michael Robinson in a statement. "One killing is too many, and the death of a second wolf would be heartbreaking."

Per the press release, another wolf — an adult male — was also targeted for lethal removal in Arizona but appeared to still be alive when the kill order aimed at the animal expired.

The order to kill the male wolf from the Bear Canyon pack was set to last through August 30, emails obtained by the Arizona Republic reportedly indicated.

Why is the killing of wolves concerning?

The CBD noted in its release that the U.S. government started trapping and poisoning Mexican gray wolves "on behalf of the livestock industry" in 1915. Those activities continued until the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, three years after which the species was declared endangered.

As a result of the previous wolf killings and a halt on the release of family packs, there has been a decline in genetic diversity among the animals, advocates have said, leading to physiological and reproductive issues in the population. This latest loss of what the CBD has identified as a "genetically valuable" animal could represent another challenge to recovery efforts in a year that has seen a ramp-up in lethal removals, according to the group.

The Arizona Republic reported that federal agents had "mistakenly killed a potentially pregnant wolf wearing a tracking collar while executing a lethal removal order for an uncollared wolf" in April. All together, at least four such kill orders for the endangered species have been authorized in 2025. 

Do you think fracking should be illegal in America? Yes — everywhere 👏 Yes — in most areas 👍 In some areas 🤷 No 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

The past several months have also seen the delayed return of a wolf family back into the wild, reported New Mexico public radio station KUNM. Chris Smith of WildEarth Guardians told the radio outlet "the livestock industry has been actively lobbying the Trump administration to defund the wolf's recovery program and even introduced a bill to delist it from the Endangered Species Act," KUNM paraphrased.

In addition to the loss of animal life, genetic diversity, and biodiversity overall, fewer wolves in the wild can also mean overpopulation of large herbivores, like elk, and smaller predators, like coyotes. Such overpopulations can bring their own cascade of ecosystemic effects, such as the overgrazing of vegetation, erosion, and soil health decline. 

What's being done?

In a not-unrelated case, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled in Montana in early August that "the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ignored scientific evidence and failed to account for aggressive state management policies that could threaten wolf populations with collapse," according to NBC. 

The CBD was among the 20 advocacy groups listed as plaintiffs in the case, in which the judge found that Endangered Species Act protections had not been applied to gray wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Some advocates hope this outcome and similar legal battles can help to strengthen protections for the endangered species across the country.

"This case gives wolves in the Northern Rockies another shot [at] federal protections, which they desperately need," Lizzy Pennock, an attorney with WildEarth Guardians, told NBC.

Pennock went on to say that claims that wolves pose significant harm to livestock are not supported by data. "This isn't about protecting ranchers or hunters. It's about a small number of anti-wolf politicians driving unscientific policy," she said. 

Many ranchers are concerned about the impact of wolf packs on their livestock and livelihoods. Meanwhile, wildlife advocates often argue for non-lethal strategies, citing research that shows killing wolves may not be a very efficient or effective method of livestock protection anyway. A study published in August in the journal Science Advances found that "wolf hunting in the Western U.S. has had little impact on the loss of livestock," according to NPR.

Study co-author Leandra Merz told the news outlet that effective non-lethal strategies — such as fencing and patrolling — have often become the financial responsibility of overburdened ranchers, perhaps suggesting that state or federal funding could better support these efforts.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.