ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - It was more than 15 years ago, on March 29, 1998, when the first Mexican gray wolves were re-introduced into the wild in the Southwest.

David Parsons was the first Mexican wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the time. The now-retired wildlife biologist said he believes every wild animal should be allowed to exist in nature. He said modern science on wolf ecology is increasingly documenting the important role the Mexican wolf plays in ecosystems, and provided an example from Yellowstone National Park.

"When the wolves were taken out of Yellowstone National Park, the elk populations exploded and they essentially ate everything down to the ground," he recalled. "The beavers disappeared and songbirds disappeared. And with the return of the wolves, we're now seeing the reverse of that. So, they really are important in maintaining biodiversity in our ecosystems," Parsons said.

According to Parsons, when Mexican wolves were eradicated from the wild in the early 1900s, only seven animals were saved and those seven were bred in captivity for years before being returned to the wild. Geneticists who have been studying the situation have recommended solutions to inbreeding which include releasing more wolves into the wild. Scientists had thought there would be more than 100 lobos in the wild by the end of 2006. So far, there are only 75.

According to the biologist, the project has not gone as predicted. Parsons acknowledges that 75 wolves in the wild is the highest number ever reached by that population. But the number is still lower than scientists had expected. Among the reasons for that are illegal killing, cars, and natural causes. But one of the main issues concerns policies followed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

"For many years the agency was removing too many wolves from the wild to address conflict between wolves and livestock," Parsons charged. "And we were more or less forced politically to put boundaries around the recovery area."

Those boundaries are still at issue today. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit last week challenging a Fish and Wildlife Service permit that allows federal and state agencies to capture wolves that enter New Mexico and Arizona from either the north or south and keep them in captivity indefinitely.

Parsons said however that the future of the Mexican wolves could still be bright, depending upon how the re-introduction project is managed.

"The agencies have been lagging way behind in terms of getting the wolves released into the wild," he asserted. "The most looming problem is one relating to the genetics, problems that lead to inbreeding, depression."

Parsons said that responding to these challenges by increasing the number of wolves released into the wild is something the agencies in charge have thus far failed to do.

Those 75 surviving wolves and the re-introduction program will be celebrated from 6 to 10 p.m. this Friday at O'Neill's Pub in Albuquerque.






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"The Creature from the Black Lagoon" is a scary story told around Halloween, but conservationists say the real danger in Georgia's swamps is how humans mistreat the wetlands.

The group Defenders of Wildlife is launching its "Real Scary Movies" campaign to show how pollution, overuse and habitat loss are the real danger to places such as the iconic Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Christian Hunt, a senior federal lands policy analyst for Defenders of Wildlife, said while the swamp's alligators, snakes and other creatures can be scary, humans remain the wetland's biggest threat.

"The true threat is how people manage wetlands. It's through pollution, mining, or the draining and conversion of wetlands and swamps. The only horror, the only creature, if you will, is our treatment of the places we vilify," he said.

October 13 through 19 is also National Wildlife Refuge Week, a time to visit America's network of lands and waters that conserve and protect our wildlife heritage. During this time, entrance fees to many refuges will be waived.

The Okefenokee refuge is home to hundreds of species, many listed as threatened or endangered. Hunt said nearby operations such as power plants and other industries can cause damage through pollution, mining, or draining swamps.

"Frankly, many people are scared of wilderness," he explained. "They're scared of the wild, and they create villains, such as, say, the creature of the Black Lagoon, to rationalize that fear."

Hunt added groups such as Defenders of Wildlife are working to preserve refuges like the Okefenokee, and says if those lands are damaged or destroyed, they might be gone for good.

"They protect some of the last vestiges of wilderness, particularly in the Southeast. It's hard to quantify what would be lost if we were to lose these places, but the loss would certainly be immense," he contended.

Indiana is considering a limited bobcat trapping season and the Department of Natural Resources is seeking public input on the proposal.

The plan would allow trapping in about 40 southern Indiana counties starting in November 2025, with a statewide quota of 250 bobcats. Trappers would have a one-bobcat bag limit and be required to purchase a special bobcat license.

Geriann Albers, furbearer and turkey program leader for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, said the proposal includes strict monitoring, and requires trappers to report their catches within 24 hours.

"We do have a population model for bobcats," Albers explained. "We're very confident with that 250 quota that it will not negatively impact bobcat populations. What that 250 was set on was the population model we have that shows that's a sustainable level of harvest."

Opponents argued even a limited season could threaten bobcat populations. Environmental groups, including the Humane Society, said the DNR's population model may not fully account for the bobcat's slow reproductive rate and threats from habitat loss. They contended reintroducing trapping could undermine years of conservation work that helped the species recover in Indiana.

Albers noted the DNR invited public feedback on the proposal.

"On that rule-making docket page the comment button is available for people to submit comments now," Albers pointed out. "That went up pretty quickly after the meeting but the first round of comments, we haven't scheduled yet because that usually coincides with when we do a public hearing."

A public hearing, tentatively set for November, will offer both in-person and virtual participation options. The DNR said updates will be posted on its website.


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Environmental groups are slamming a Biden administration effort to remove federal protections for the endangered gray wolf.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just appealed a 2022 court decision reinstating protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act; protections lost in the Trump era.

Derek Goldman, Northern Rockies senior field representative for the nonprofit Endangered Species Coalition, said federal officials are making contradictory moves.

"On one hand, they said earlier this summer that they want to write a national recovery plan. But then they appealed to reinstate the Trump wolf delisting rule, which would presumably mean they don't have to do a recovery plan," Goldman pointed out. "This is kind of sending a mixed message here."

In the suit, Justice Department attorneys argued the gray wolf is no longer in danger of extinction. The National Rifle Association and hunting and livestock groups also supported the Trump-era policy, which would send protections back to the states.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said seven confirmed packs of gray wolves have made their way down from Oregon. Goldman acknowledged the wolves enjoy state-level protections but have a long way to go.

"They certainly haven't recovered throughout all the suitable habitat that's in California, like the Sierra Nevada mountain range," Goldman noted. "But without the resources provided by the Endangered Species Act, they won't fully recover."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set a deadline of December 2025 to produce a new federal gray wolf recovery plan.