More than $100K reward offered after Mexican gray wolf found dead in Arizona
Government and private groups are funding an over $100,000 reward for information about the death of a Mexican gray wolf in Arizona.
PHOENIX – A reward of more than $100,000 is being offered for information that leads to a prosecution for the possible killing of a protected wolf in Arizona, wildlife officials said.
A female Mexican gray wolf, which is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, was found dead in an area northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona, on Nov. 7, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency did not provide additional details on the animal's cause of death, but noted that "the mortality was not related to agency management actions."
The incident is under investigation and wildlife officials are offering a reward of up to $103,500 for information that leads to a "successful prosecution" in the case, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a statement.
The agency is offering a reward of up to $50,000 while the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish each offer up to $1,000. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a "variety of nongovernmental organizations and private individuals" also pledged additional funding for a total reward of up to $51,500.
"Killing a Mexican wolf is a violation of state law and the Federal Endangered Species Act and can result in criminal penalties of up to $50,000, and/or not more than one year in jail, and/or a civil penalty of up to $25,000," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in the statement.
Anyone with information is urged to contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents in Pinetop, Arizona.
Wildlife officials first documented deceased wolf over the summer
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the wolf, known as F2979, was first documented over the summer, when she was captured, equipped with a GPS collar, and released back into the wild in July. The wolf had been documented outside of the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area, a designated region in central and southern Arizona and New Mexico where conservation efforts for the species are focused.
A DNA analysis revealed that the wolf had dispersed from a pack in the experimental population area, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She was later seen traveling with another Mexican gray wolf in the area, and attempts were made to relocate the pair back to the experimental population area, the agency said.
These efforts were ongoing when the wolf was found dead, according to the agency. The fate of the other Mexican gray wolf seen with her is unknown.
The Western Watersheds Project, an Idaho-based nonprofit dedicated to protecting watersheds and wildlife in the West, shared photos of the wolf – who they referred to as Hope – with a tracking collar receiving a health check in July.
"In every photo we saw of Hope, her collar was plainly visible. If she was shot, the shooter had to know she wasn’t a coyote," Cyndi Tuell, Arizona and New Mexico director at Western Watersheds Project, said in a statement. "If someone killed Hope, the full weight of the federal and state law should be brought to bear against the person or persons who took her away from our human community which found inspiration and joy in her existence, and from the non-human community that depends upon top predators to bring balance to the landscape."
Mexican gray wolf population has grown over recent years
According to the Wolf Conservation Center, Mexican gray wolves are one of the most endangered mammals in North America. The subspecies was almost driven to the point of extinction by the mid-1980s due to hunting, trapping, and poisoning practices.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the agency and its partners had initiated efforts to conserve the subspecies in 1977 through a bi-national captive breeding program that originated from "just seven Mexican wolves." In 1998, the wolves were reintroduced into the wild under the Endangered Species Act.
Defenders of Wildlife, a nonprofit conservation organization, said the subspecies used to roam in areas from central Mexico to the southwestern U.S., including Utah, Colorado, and Texas.
"Today, they can be found only in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico," according to Defenders of Wildlife.
In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the wild population of Mexican wolves "saw another year of growth in 2023." A population census for 2023 revealed that at least 257 Mexican wolves were distributed in Arizona and New Mexico, marking a 6% increase from the 242 wolves documented in 2022.
"This increase marks the eighth consecutive year of population growth, the longest continuous streak since recovery efforts began," the agency said in a statement.
Olivia Rose reports for The Arizona Republic and Thao Nguyen reports for Paste BN.