Page 24 - Annual Report 2022
P. 24

MEXICAN WOLVES IN THE WILD

               Mexican wolves first arrived at
               Me x i c a n w o l v e s f i r s t a r r i v e d a t      an d  A quar i um s  ( A Z A )  M e x i c an
                                                and Aquariums (AZA) Mexican
                                                         e
                                                         i
                                                        c
                                                            ur
                                                            S
                                                          s
                                                       e
                                                   l
                                                  o
                                                W
                                                      p
                                                     S
                                                    f
                                                                        r
                                                                        P
                                                                      ®
                                                                         o
                                                                              .
                                                                            am
                                                                          gr
                                                                v
                                                               i
                                                              v
                                                                 al
                                                                    an
                                                                   l
                                                                   P
               Brookfield Zoo in 2001. Mexican
               B r o o k f i e l d Z o o i n 2 0 0 1 . Me x i c a n    Wolf Species Survival Plan® Program.
                                                      s
                                                                    di
                                                               d
                                                             e
                                                                      v
                                                                   n
                                                                 6
                                                                 4
                                                         ana
                                                                   i
                                                        m
                                                  Z
                                                                       d
               wolves are the smallest subspecies
               w o l ve s  a r e  t h e  sm a ll e s t  s u b sp e c i e s      CZS has managed 46 individual
                                                                        ual
                                                            g
                                                C
                                                     ha
                                                   S
                                                                       i
                                                           v
                                                           l
                                                         o
                                                    i
                                                   x
                                                Me
                                                      n w
                                                     a
                                                    c
                                                                      e
               o f g r e y w o l f i n N o r t h A m e r i c a a n d    Mexican wolves at Brookfield Zoo
                                                                      i
               of grey wolf in North America and
                                                                          o
                                                                           o
                                                                       l
                                                                        d Z
                                                               t B
                                                                 r
                                                            e
                                                             s a
                                                                    k
                                                                     f
                                                                  o
                                                                   o
               w e r e  onc e  n u m e r ou s  t h r oug hout    a s pa r t o f t h e R e c o v e r y P r o g r a m .
                                                as part of the Recovery Program.
               were once numerous throughout
               Mexico and the American Southwest.  Their habitat at Regenstein Wolf
               Me x i c o a n d t h e A m e r i c a n S o u t h w e s t .    T h eir  h a b i t a t  a t  R e g e n s t ei n  W o l f
                                       d
                                        l
                                      l
                n 1
                        e U
                                         f
                                         e
                                        i
                       h
                                 n
                            . F
                               h a
                              i
                              s
                          .
                                      i
                           S
                                  d W
               I In 1976, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife     W o o d s w a s r e n o v a t e d s p e c i f i c a l l y
                     , t
                    6
                                                Woods was renovated specifically
                  9
                   7
               Service (USFWS) added the wolves to  for the management of Mexican
               S e r v i c e ( U S F W S ) a d d e d t h e w o l v e s t o    f o r  t h e  m ana g em en t  o f  M e x i c an
                          r
                                     s
                                    i
                               e
                                      t
                     d
                                      . U
               t the endangered species list. USFWS     w o l v e s  a n d  m i ni m i z e s  c o n t a c t
                         e
                 e e
                h
                           e
                    n
                                  e
                            d s
                                 i
                                c
                              p
                                   s l
                                        S
                       n
                        g
                                                wolves and minimizes contact
                                          W
                      a
                                            S
                                         F
                                                between the wolves and humans.
               partnered with other federal agen-
               pa r t n e r e d w i t h o t h e r f e d e ra l a g e n -  b e t w e en  t h e  w o l v e s  an d  h um an s .
               c ie s ,  s t a t e  a g e n c ie s ,  c o n s e r v a t i o n    CZS has also been actively
                                                     S h
                                                           s
                                                                        l
                                                        a
                                                   C
                                                                        y
                                                                e
                                                            o b
                                                                 n a
                                                                       e
                                                         s a
                                                                     i
               cies, state agencies, conservation
                                                    Z
                                                           l
                                                                     t
                                                               e
                                                                      v
                                                                    c
               o r gan i z a t i o n s ,  an d  Na t i v e - A m e r i c an    i involved in providing wolves for
                                                    l
                                                        n p
                                                                 g w
                                                   o
                                                    v
               organizations, and Native-American
                                                 n
                                                              d
                                                      d i
                                                           r
                                                              i
                                                                n
                                                            o
                                                  v
                                                             v
                                                               i
                                                     e
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                                                                     l
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                                                                       e
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                                                     o
                           n
                                    a
                                                          o
                                         e
                                                                    l
                                                                h
                                                          i
                 ba
                                   e
                                                  n
                                   r
               t tribal communities to create the        r reintroduction to the wild and
                                      e t
                                        h
                          u
                                                           n t
                                                 e
                                                      d
                                     t
                                                  i
                                                                     d a
                                                              o t
                        m
                                                       u
                                                                       n
                                                        c
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                                                    r
                                                    t
                             e
                              s t
                   l c
                                                                        d
                             i
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                            t
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                            i
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                                                                 e w
                                                                     a
                                                   t
                                                                       c
                                                    i
                                                                  e
               Mexican Wolf Recovery Program.
                                                      pa
                                                           n m
                                                        e
               Me x i c a n W o l f R e c o v e r y P r o g r a m .    participates in many research
                                                                      r
                                                                   s
                                                                        h
                                                pa
                                                         s i
                                                               n
                                                    c
                                                                    e
                                                   r
                                                        t
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                                                     i
                                                              a
                  S
                      n w
                                                pr
                                                                         g
                                                      s
                                                                          r
                                                        i
                   e
                  Seven wolves, thought to be        projects in support of the program.
                                                          u
                                         e
                                                          s
                                                                        o
                                                        n
                     e
                                                            pp
                           v
                            s
                                                                    h
                                   h
                                                                     e
                                                  o
                                                     c
                                                                t
                                                                 of
                                 u
                                                                             .
                                                                            m
                                  g
                           e
                                o
                                      o b
                                                      t
                                                                   t
                                                                       pr
                             , t
                                                    e
                         o
                    v
                               h
                                    t t
                                                   j
                                                              or
                                                                           a
                          l
                   a
               t the last of their species in the wild,  ,    An especially promising facet of the     MEXICAN WOLF PUPS AT BROOKFIELD ZOO
                                                  n e
                                                       c
                    s
                                                                          f t
                                                      e
                                                     p
                                                                            h
                                                                             e
                     t o
                                                A
                                                    s
                                                               m
                                                              o
                 e l
                           r s
                           i
                                   n t
                                                                     a
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                                       e w
                                     h
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                              e
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                             p
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                h
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                                                                i
                                  s i
                               c
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                                          l
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                                                                        t o
                                          d
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                       f t
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                         h
                                                         a
                                                        i
                                                                       e
                  r
                                                                   s
                                                         i
                                                         n
                                                                         i
                                                                         n
                                                                    -
                                                                 os
                                                          v
                                                                       t
                                                             e
                                                           o
                                                            l
                                                                          g
                                                      m
                                                            v
                                                                       er
                                                    r
                                                                    f
                 e
                                                                cr
                                                     a
                                                                     os
                                                              s
               were captured and moved into     program involves cross-fostering
                                       n
                             n
                          d a
                                        t
                                                  o
                   e c
                                 o
                                   e
                                   v
                              d m
                                    d i
                                                  r
                         e
                     a
                      p
                       t
                                                p
               w
                                                   g
                        u
                         r
                                        o
                                         c
                                            d
               breeding facilities where they could     p u p s . R e c e n t l y b o r n p u p s a t t h e Z o o    Last spring, a litter of five Mexican     D u r i n g a c e n s u s o f t h e w i l d
                                     t
                 e
                                      e
                                            l
                                         ou
                                     h
                                       y
                                   e
                        a
                        f
                          i
                         c
               br
                   d
                     ng
                    i
                          l
                               wh
                             s
                                  r
                                 e
                           t
                           i
                            e
                            i
                                                pups. Recently born pups at the Zoo
                  e
                                                                                                            n
                                                                                                           a
                                                                                 L
                                                                                                r o
                                                                                             t
                                                                                              t
                                                                                               e
                                                                                                    v
                                                                                                     e Me
                                                                                                         x
                                                                                                          i
                                                                                                  f f
                                                                                                          c
                                                                                                    i
                                                                                        n
                                                                                         g
                                                                                                                     During a census of the wild
                                                                                      p
                                                                                       r
                                                                                        i
                                                                                          , a l
                                                                                   s
                                                                                  a
                                                                                             i
                                                                                    t s
                                                      han
                                                                h
               b e p r o t e c t e d a n d s t u d i e d . T o d a y    are exchanged with recently born     wolf pups were born to first-time     p op u l a t i on  c on d uc t e d  i n  e a r l y  2 0 2 3 ,
                                                           e
                                                                   c
                                                                           n
                                                              w
                                                               i
                                                                  e
                                                               t
                                                                  r
                                                     c
                                                            d
                                                                           r
                                                ar
                                                                    en
                                                         g
                                                                       l
                                                  e
                                                                       y
                                                     x
                                                                         b
                                                    e
                                                                      t
               be protected and studied. Today
                                                                          o
                                                                                    l
                                                                                                       s
                                                                                                                  population conducted in early 2023,
                                                                                    f p
                                                                                                            e
                                                                                                      r
                                                                                       u
                                                                                   o
                                                                                            e
                                                                                                        -
                                                                                                        t
                                                                                             e b
                                                                                             r
                                                                                                o
                                                                                                          m
                                                                                        p
                                                                                                  n t
                                                                                                    o f
                                                                                                          i
                                                                                                         t
                                                                                                      i
                                                                                         s w
                                                                                 w
                                                                                                 r
                                    i
                                                pups in the wild. The pups’ parents
                                            s
                                   x
                                           e
                   e a
                         o
                        b
                                    c
                h
                  r
                 e
                                          l
               t there are about 241 Mexican wolves     p u p s i n t h e w i l d . T h e p u p s ’ pa r e n t s    mother Vivilette and her mate,        USFWS identified the pack the pup- -
                                         o
                            t 2
                              4
                                      n w
                               1 Me
                                     a
                          u
                      e a
                                           v
                     r
                                                                                      e
                                                                                                                                             u
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                                                                                 m
                                                                                                                                              p
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                                                                                     h
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                                                                                                         t
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                                                                                                                     F
                                                                                                                         d
                                                                                                                      W
                                                                                                                                   e pa
                                                                                                                       S i
                                                                                                                          e
                                                                                                          ,
                                                                                                                                      c
                                                                                                                    S
                                                                                                                  U
                                                                                              e a
                                                                                          v
                                                                                       r V
                                                                                                                              i
                                                                                           l
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                                                                                                                                           e p
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                                          8
                      i
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               i in the wild and approximately 380     a c c ep t  t h e  n ew  f os t er e d  p u ps  a s    A m i g o , a t B r o o k f i e l d Z o o ’ s      p i e s j o i n e d a n d i t a p p e a r s t h e l i t t e r
                                                accept the new fostered pups as
                   e w
                  h
                                       l
                                  i
                              p
                                      e
                                     t
                             p
                                    a
                          n
                                r
                                 x
                                       y 3
                                                                                 Amigo, at Brookfield Zoo’s
                                                                                                                  pies joined and it appears the litter
                        d o
                                                                       e
                       n
                                                     o
                                                    r
                                                                            t
                    s a
                                                                              e
                                                                            h
                   o
                                                                          n
                                                                        d
               in zoos and other holding facilities,  ,    t their own. Pups cross-fostered in the     Regenstein Wolf Woods. At 10 days     with the fostered pups has survived.
               i
                                                                          i
                                                   i
                  o
                n z
                                      a
                           h
                                 d
                                        i
                                  i
                                                               os
                                   n
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                                                           ps
                                                                   f
                                       c
                                                                 s
                                                                  -
                             r h
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                                                                   os
                                                          P
                                                       n
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                                         t
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                                    g f
                                                         .
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                                                          u
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                                                                                                  o
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                                                                                    g
                                                                                                                                                .
                                                                                             o
                                                                                                                  w
                                                                                                   d
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                                                                                                                    t
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                                                                                                                                               d
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                                                                                                             y
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                                                                                                                                          u
                                                                                       s
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                                                                                                                                             i
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                                                                                        t
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                                                                                                                             e
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                                                                                                                            t
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                                                                                      n
                                                                                     e
                                                                                                                                     s h
                                                                                                                           s
                                                                                                                          o
                                                                                                                       h
                                                                                                                                        s s
                                                                                                     s
                                                                                                     . A
                                                                                                                                       a
                                                                                                       t 1
                                                                                                         0 d
                                                                                                            a
                                                                                                                                   p
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                                                                    m t
                                           l
                                      a
                      n pa
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                                                                t
                                          o
                                                  i
                            o t
                  n
                                    i
                                                  l
                                                               n
                                     c
                                                         d pa
                                                         i
                                                              e
                                                   d b
                          t t
                                                                       o h
               thanks in part to the Mexican Wolf     wild by wild parents seem to have     o l d , t h r e e o f t h e m w e r e c a r e f u l l y    B r o o k f i e l d Z o o h a s p r o d u c e d f o u r
                                                             r
                                   x
               t
                          r
                                                                s s
                                       n W
                                                                           v
                                                         l
                    s i
                               e Me
                 a
                                                                            e
                              h
                                                w
                h
                   k
                                                                  e
                                           f
                                                                   e
                                                                          a
                                                                                 old, three of them were carefully
                                                                                                                  Brookfield Zoo has produced four
                                                        han
                                                     e
                                                                   v
                                                                       han
                                                    t
                                                                    i
               R e c o v e r y  P r o gr am .    a better chance of survival than     removed from their den at the Zoo     successful litters of Mexican wolf pups;  ;
                                                            c
               Recovery Program.
                                                        c
                                                                       t
                                                               f
                                                                 s
                                                      r
                                                               o
                                                                    v
                                                     t
                                                            e
                                                a
                                                                 ur
                                                                     al
                                                   e
                                                  b
                                                                                                                                      i
                                                                                                    n a
                                                                                                                                        n w
                                                                                                          e Z
                                                                                                 r d
                                                                                                                            i
                                                                                                                                       a
                                                                                               h
                                                                                                                            t
                                                                                                 i
                                                                                                e
                                                                                                             o
                                                                                                       t t
                                                                                                                          l l
                                                                                                         h
                                                                                                   e
                                                                                                                                      c
                                                                                                            o
                                                                                                                                                 s
                                                                                                                              r
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                                                                                                                    c
                                                                                   m
                                                                                                                                 f Me
                                                                                                                                     x
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                                                                                     o
                                                                                      v
                                                                                                                      e
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                                                                                                                       s
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                                                                                  e
                                                                                                                         u
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                                                                                 r
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                                                                                            m t
                                                                                           o
                                                                                                                             e
                                                                                          r
                                                                                                                                           o
                                                                                                                                             f p
                                                                                                                             t
                                                        ai
                                                                           i
                                                                    e
                                                                      a
                  CZS has been a partner in the
                                                       r
                                                  um
                                                                           n
                                                           d
                                                       -
                                                                     l
                                                                       s
                                                                     e
                                                    an
                                                          e
                                                         s
                                                                         d
                                                h
                                                                        e
                  C Z S h a s b e e n a pa r t n e r i n t h e    human-raised animals released in     a n d f l o w n t o N e w Me x i c o , a c c o m -  s seven pups were sent to the wild
                                                                 al
                                                               m
                                                             an
                                                                  s
                                                                    r
                                                               i
                                                                                                                         u
                                                                                                                                  e
                                                                                                                          p
                                                                                                                   e
                                                                                                                                      o t
                                                                                                                                             d
                                                                                                                                   n
                                                                                                                              e
                                                                                                                           s w
                                                                                                                                            i
                                                                                                                                        h
                                                                                                                                e s
                                                                                 and flown to New Mexico, accom-
                                                                                                                                    t t
                                                                                                                     e
                                                                                                                    v
                                                                                                                                            l
                                                                                                                      n p
                                                                                                                               r
                                                                                                                                         e w
                                          e
                                                         s a
                                          v
                 r
                                 n
                               3 a
                   ra
                              0
                                                      l
                                                              s
                                                      d a
                                                t
                                  d a
                                                 h
               program since 2003 and an active     the wild as adults.  .       pa n i e d b y a C Z S s e n i o r v e t e r i n a r y    t through the USFWS cross-fostering
                        n
                  g
                                                  e w
               p
                        i
                                                     i
                             0
                     m s
                         c
                          e 2
                 o
                                                             l
                                         i
                                                           d
                                                            u
                                         t
                                                             t
                                        c
                                     n a
                                                                                                                     o
                                                                                                                       gh
                                                                                                                           e
                                                                                                                               F
                                                                                                                                       -
                                                                                                                                          s
                                                                                                                                        f
                                                                                                                                    c
                                                                                                                      u
                                                                                 panied by a CZS senior veterinary
                                                                                                                                         o
                                                                                                                                  S
                                                                                                                                    r
                                                                                                                                             i
                                                                                                                   hr
                                                                                                                                     o
                                                                                                                                            r
                                                                                                                                           e
                                                                                                                          h
                                                                                                                                      ss
                                                                                                                             U
                                                                                                                                              g
                                                                                                                          t
                                                                                                                                W
                                                                                                                                             n
                                                                                                                              S
                                                                                                                                          t
               participant in the Association of Zoos
               pa r t i c i pa n t i n t h e A s s o c i a t i o n o f Z o o s    technician and a lead animal care     program. The fostered pups diversify
                                                                                                                             e
                                                                                                                               o
                                                                                                                          .
                                                                                                                           T
                                                                                                                               f
                                                                                                                                  r
                                                                                                                            h
                                                                                                                                 t
                                                                                                                                 e
                                                                                                                                s
                                                                                               a
                                                                                                                                               i
                                                                                             d
                                                                                  e
                                                                                                                                            v
                                                                                                 a
                                                                                                  d
                                                                                                                                           di
                                                                                                l
                                                                                                e
                                                                                           an
                                                                                   c
                                                                                      i
                                                                                     n
                                                                                    h
                                                                                                                                              r
                                                                                        i
                                                                                        an
                                                                                                                                             e
                                                                                       c
                                                                                                                                              s
                                                                                                                  p
                                                                                                                                      p
                                                                                 t
                                                                                                                       am
                                                                                                                                                y
                                                                                                                     gr
                                                                                                                                   e
                                                                                                                                    d
                                                                                                                    r
                                                                                                                    o
                                                                                                            e
                                                                                                      i
                                                                                                      m
                                                                                                    an
                                                                                                                                         s
                                                                                                        al
                                                                                                           ar
                                                                                                                                       up
                                                                                                          c
                                                                                                                                               f
                                                                                                                                                n
                                                                                                                                               o
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                                                                                                                                              t
                                                                                                                                       d p
                                                                                                                                         o
                                                                                                                                      l
                                                                                                                                   e w
                                                                                                                                      i
                                                                                                                                             l
                                                                                                                                             a
                                                                                                                                  h
                                                                                                                                          p
                                                                                                                                            u
                                                                                                               d

                                                                                                              l
                                                                                           h
                                                                                                              i
                                                                                                                   h
                                                                                                                    e g
                                                                                        t
                                                                                                                  t
                                                                                         . T
                                                                                                         n a w
                                                                                                    l
                                                                                                    a
                                                                                                e
                                                                                                 r
                                                                                                 e p
                                                                                                       d i
                                                                                            e
                                                                                             y w
                                                                                                     c
                                                                                                      e
                                                                                       s
                                                                                   e
                                                                                                                            o
                                                                                    c
                                                                                                                         e p
                                                                                                                             o
                                                                                                                                f t
                                                                                 s specialist. They were placed in a wild  the gene pool of the wild population,  ,
                                                                                  p
                                                                                                                              l o
                                                                                      a
                                                                                                                       e
                                                                                       i
                                                                                       l
                                                                                     i
                                                                                                                        n
                                                                                               e
                                                                                             r r
                                                                                 den with other recently born pups     wh i c h  i s  e s s e n t i a l  f or  t h e  long - t e r m
                                                                                       t
                                                                                        h o
                                                                                                c
                                                                                    n w
                                                                                            e
                                                                                           h
                                                                                   e
                                                                                 d
                                                                                       i
                                                                                          t
                                                                                                           u
                                                                                                        n p
                                                                                                        r
                                                                                                                  which is essential for the long-term
                                                                                                             s
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                                                                                                                                e
                                                                                                                                 c
                                                                                 by the Mexican Wolf Interagency
                                                                                 b y t h e Me x i c a n W o l f I n t e r a g e n c y    survival of the species. .
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                                                                                        a
                                                                                 Field Team.  .
                                                                                    ld
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                                                                                  ie
                                                                 Foster wolf den
                                                                 site in the wild
     22
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