ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – As the federal government works to reintroduce wolves to New Mexico and Arizona, they rely on placing foster animals into wild dens. Now, the U.S. Forest Service says they had a record number of foster wolf pups placed into dens this spring.
Placing foster pups into wild dens helps support the genetic diversity of the growing wolf population in the southwest. This year, a record 27 Mexican wolf pups entered the packs, nine of which came from New Mexico breeding programs.
“There are 27 new, more genetically diverse, endangered Mexican wolves on the landscape thanks to the combined efforts of our SAFE [Association of Zoos and Aquariums Saving Animals From Extinction] partners and our field team,” Maggie Dwire, the deputy Mexican wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a press release. “It has taken time, but we are seeing fostering yield results as genetic indicators in the wild stabilize and improve. The hope is this surge of pups will continue to push those trends in the right direction, resulting in a healthier wild population and bringing us closer to recovery.”
The pups are mixed in with wild pups within 14 days of being born. Then, wild adult pack mates help raise the foster wolves alongside naturally born wolves. Five of the pups came from the Living Desert Zoo in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and four came from the Sevilleta Wolf Management Facility, near Socorro.
“This has been another banner year for improving genetic diversity in the wild Mexican wolf recovery population,” Jim deVos, Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Mexican wolf coordinator, said in a press release. “The 27 pups fostered this year were placed in eight different dens in the recovery area to bring the total of recipient dens to 48. This points to the ability of spreading the genetic contribution of the fosters into a wide geographic area, amplifying the benefit of the foster program. In addition, these pups will learn how to live successfully in the wild from an experienced female which is yet another benefit of fostering over release of adults that have been maintained in captivity.”
Officials will monitor the wolves via GPS and radio telemetry collars on adult and sub-adult wolves. While the wolves generally hunt for themselves, officials will also support the fosters by providing some supplemental food to the wild packs, the Forest Service says.
