Officials celebrate remarkable recovery of critically endangered creature: 'Inching forward'

The Mexican gray wolf population is growing steadily across Arizona and New Mexico, the Associated Press reported.

This endangered species, the most compact of all gray wolf varieties found throughout North America, now has at least 286 wolves roaming the southwestern mountains, an 11% jump from last year.

Wildlife managers just wrapped up their annual winter count, employing various techniques that included trail cameras, dropped hair and waste analysis, aerial surveys, and signal monitoring. Every captured wolf gets weighed, vaccinated, and checked before being released back into its territory.

The numbers show progress since the program started in 1998, when just 11 zoo-raised animals were released. Today, 60 family groups call the region home, with over half living in southwestern New Mexico.

The survey counted 26 wolf couples actively producing offspring, and half of the 160 youngsters born in 2024 made it through their first year.

This recovery helps restore balance to southwestern ecosystems. When wolves return to their natural habitat, they help control deer and elk populations, protecting native vegetation and supporting other wildlife. Healthy wolf populations can also boost tourism in rural areas, bringing money to local communities through wildlife watching.

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The road hasn't been easy. In 2024 alone, managers conducted 290 interventions to discourage wolves from approaching settled areas.

"This year's count shows the recovery of Mexican wolves is inching forward," the AP noted.

Around 350 of these wolves are housed in protected facilities across the U.S. and Mexico, supporting genetic diversity through programs like cross-fostering, where captive-bred pups are placed into wild dens.

The recovery plan estimates a price tag of $203 million spread across a quarter century, though funding concerns remain. "Environmentalists are concerned that recent federal funding and job cuts could derail the progress made so far," the article stated.