Feds admit Mexican Gray Wolf killed by ‘mistake’
FILE - Captive Mexican Wolf at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
A U.S. Federal Agency says it killed a Mexican Gray Wolf in Arizona by mistake.
The incident happened last week, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave an order to kill an uncollared wolf after ongoing issues with livestock killings on public land.
However, federal authorities say the wolf that was killed was a breeding female officially known as AF1823, but also known among wolf advocates as Asiza. The order mentioned the wolf was possibly pregnant.
Wildlife advocates are expressing outrage over the killing. In a statement from the Western Watersheds project, Deputy Director Greta Anderson said “the fact that they killed a collared mother wolf ‘by accident’ is completely unacceptable. Wildlife professionals should be trained to know what they are targeting, especially when it comes to a highly imperiled species. We demand a full investigation and criminal charges for negligence if appropriate.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates there are about 162 Mexican gray wolves living in New Mexico.
Catron County commissioners recently approved a disaster resolution they hope will convince state leaders to help pay for wolf-caused damage.