Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 30 November 2017

APNewsBreak: U.S. adopts recovery plan for Mexican wolves

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRY- cal in nature, not science-
AN based,” said Bryan Bird with
Associated Press Defenders of Wildlife, argu-
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ing that suitable habitat in
— After decades of legal the Grand Canyon and
challenges and political Southern Rockies is being
battles that have pitted ignored.
states against the federal Environmentalists have
government, U.S. wildlife pressed for years for more
managers on Wednesday captive wolves to be re-
finally adopted a plan to leased, but ranchers and
guide the recovery of a wolf elected leaders in rural
that once roamed parts of communities have pushed
the American Southwest back because the preda-
and northern Mexico. tors sometimes attack do-
The plan sets a goal of hav- mestic livestock and wild
ing an average of 320 Mex- game.
ican gray wolves in the wild Last year, the U.S. Inte-
over an eight-year period rior Department’s internal
before the predator can watchdog said the Fish
shed its status as an en- and Wildlife Service had
dangered species. In each not fulfilled its obligation
of the last three years, the In this undated file photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Mexican gray wolf to remove Mexican gray
population would have leaves cover at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro County, N.M. wolves that preyed on pets
to exceed the average to Associated Press and cattle.
ensure the species doesn’t us a roadmap for where began trying to reintro- how many releases are Barrett said with the new
backslide. we need to go to get this duce the animals in 1998. needed, she said. plan and other rules that
Officials estimate recovery species recovered and del- The most recent annual In an effort to avoid future give the agency flexibility in
could take another two isted and get its manage- survey shows at least 113 skirmishes with states, the managing problem wolves,
decades and nearly $180 ment turned back over to wolves spread between plan calls for cooperation there is optimism among of-
million, a cost borne largely the states and tribes,” Sher- southwestern New Mexico with wildlife officials in New ficials that progress can be
by breeding facilities that ry Barrett, the Mexican wolf and southeast Arizona. Mexico and Arizona when made.
support threatened and recovery coordinator, told There are about 31 wolves it comes to the timing, lo- “I know that with most
endangered species work. The Associated Press in an in the wild in Mexico, offi- cation and circumstances things having to do with
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife interview. cials said. of the releases. However, wolves, there’s going to be
Service considered tens Barrett said state wildlife of- Under the recovery plan, federal officials will make a lot of strong opinions on
of thousands of public ficials and other peers re- those numbers would be the final decisions. both sides,” she said. “But
comments — from state viewed the scientific data expected to grow to 145 in Environmentalists are voic- to us, it is a big step forward
lawmakers and business and the models used to the U.S. and 100 in Mexico ing concerns, suggesting for us to have something in
groups to independent sci- calculate the best way for- over the next five years. there needs to be more place to start working to-
entists and environmental- ward for the agency as it Barrett said targeted re- than 700 wolves in the wild ward and working with the
ists — as it worked to meet works to bolster genetic di- leases of captive-bred if the population is to with- public to achieve.”q
a court-ordered deadline versity and continue build- wolves and translocations stand illegal shootings, ge-
to craft the recovery plan. ing the wild population. are necessary to make the netic issues and other chal-
It was a long time coming There are now more of the program work. Improve- lenges.
as the original guidance for wolves roaming the South- ments in the survival rate “The final recovery plan
restoring the wolf was ad- west than at any time since — currently 28 percent — fails to recover the Mexi-
opted in 1982. the federal government will be a factor that affects can gray wolf. It is politi- /arubatoday/
“This plan really provides