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A28 SCIENCE
Tuesday 9 april 2019
Survey: More Mexican gray wolves roaming southwestern U.S.

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRY- it if we give them half a Southwestern ecosystem
AN chance," said Michael and we must do everything
Associated Press Robinson with the Center we can to ensure the spe-
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — for Biological Diversity. cies recovers," said Bryan
More Mexican gray wolves Ranchers and others in Bird with Defenders of Wild-
are roaming the American rural communities within life.
Southwest now than at any the mountain ranges that Despite the ongoing bat-
time since federal biolo- border wolf territory have tles, officials said they're still
gists began reintroducing pushed back against the encouraged by the growth
the predators more than reintroduction program, in the wolf population given
two decades ago, the U.S. citing livestock kills and that 21 wolves were found
Fish and Wildlife Service an- safety concerns. dead during 2018, marking
nounced Monday. Federal wildlife managers the deadliest year for the
Agency officials declared have been working with predators since the rein-
progress for the endan- partners in Arizona, the troduction of the program.
gered species in New White Mountain Apache Another four were reported
Mexico and Arizona, say- Tribe and the Mexican dead in the first two months
ing there are at least 131 government to mitigate of 2019, including an alfa
wolves in the wild in the two concerns related to the re- female that died after be-
states. That represents a In this Feb. 13, 2019, photo provided by the U.S. Fish and Wild- introduction on both sides ing captured during the
life Service, a member of the Mexican gray wolf recovery team
12% jump in the population. carries a wolf captured during an annual census near Alpine, of the international border, annual census so its collar
The rarest subspecies of Ariz. but ranchers in New Mex- could be replaced.
gray wolf in North Ameri- Associated Press ico and Arizona continue The census also showed
ca, Mexican wolves have to document conflicts that an increase in the number
struggled to gain ground have marked their own species would be by now. range from cattle deaths of packs in the wild. That
since the first release in 1998 turnaround elsewhere, Environmentalists have to nuisance reports. now stands at 32, with half
because of poaching, poli- prompting federal officials long called for the release During the first two months of them rearing pups that
tics, legal challenges and to reconsider that species' of more captive wolves to of the year, officials report- survived at least through
even complications from a endangered and protect- boost the population in the ed 18 confirmed livestock the end of 2018. In all, more
lack of genetic diversity. ed status. Now more than Southwest. They also have kills in New Mexico and two than 80 pups were born last
"The Mexican gray wolf has 6,000 gray wolves live in complained about confin- in Arizona. year and biologists say the
come back from the brink portions of nine states. ing the physical boundaries Environmentalists have ar- survival rate was shy of 60%.
of extinction thanks to sci- Making up only a fraction of the recovery program, gued that not enough is That's an improvement over
entific management and of the wolves in the U.S., saying that has helped to being done to discourage past years. Jim deVos with
the dedicated work of a Mexican wolves are in a limit the population. wolves from preying on the Arizona Department of
lot of partners," said Amy more precarious position However, they were en- livestock and to limit losses Game and Fish said the up-
Lueders, head of the agen- with their limited numbers couraged Monday by the from trapping and poach- tick in wolf numbers isn't iso-
cy's southwest region. and the population is still latest numbers. ing. lated but rather a continu-
The population increase far from where biologists "It shows that these wolves "The Mexican gray wolf ation of ongoing increases
comes as gray wolves had initially envisioned the have the capacity to make is an essential part of the over the last decade.q

Aegean Sea sees "very unusual"

spike in dolphin deaths

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — iou, told The Associated — coincided with exercises
The Aegean Sea has seen Press that 15 is a worryingly that used more than 100
a "very unusual" spike in high number compared to ships," Miliou said.
dolphin deaths over the "one or two" in the same After several mass beach-
past few weeks, a Greek period last year. ings of whales, NATO, to
marine conservation group The deafening noise of so- which both Turkey and
said Monday. nar, used by warships to Greece belong, adopted
The Archipelagos Institute detect enemy submarines, a code of conduct for us-
said while it's still unclear can injure dolphins and ing sonar to better protect
In this photo provided by Archipelagos Institute of Marine Con- what caused the deaths, whales, driving them to sur- marine mammals.
servation members of Archipelagos institute carry a dead dol- the spike followed Turkey's face too fast or to beach Miliou said the alliance's
phin at a beach of Samos island, Aegean sea, Greece, on Sat- largest-ever navy drills themselves — with some- rules are respected by the
urday, Feb. 9, 2019.
Associated Press in the region — the Feb. times fatal consequences U.S. Navy and the Greek
27-March 8 "Blue Home- — as they try to escape the navy but said it was un-
land" exercises that made underwater din. clear whether Turkey has
constant use of sonar and "We can't say that the implemented the guide-
practiced with live ammu- Turkish exercises killed the lines. She urged the Greek
nition. dolphins, but the fact that government to raise the is-
Fifteen dead dolphins have we had such an unusual sue in talks with Ankara.
washed up on the eastern increase in the number Miliou also said the Aegean
island of Samos and other washed up dead — and "can barely handle" other
parts of Greece's Aegean what we have seen must strains humans are putting
coastline since late Febru- be a small percentage of on the sea, such as pollu-
ary, the group said. Its head the total, because the Ae- tion, overfishing and heavy
of research, Anastassia Mil- gean has a long coastline marine traffic.q