Legal battle over the location of Mexican wolves in Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Conservation groups are pleading with the state to leave two Mexican gray wolves alone or they will sue.

Wolves currently live north of Interstate 40, beyond the state’s wolf population limit.

Greta Anderson, deputy director of the Western Watersheds Project, said the wolves chose this area for a reason.

“The wolves themselves show us what they need and where they want to be. Why don’t we let them go,” Anderson said.

According to the Endangered Species Coalition, Mexican gray wolves are the rarest breed of wolves.

Anderson said they have been working for years to bring wolves back from the brink of extinction.

“Our job is to bring them back, to help them fulfill their ecological role as apex predators,” she said.

This summer, the Arizona Department of Fish and Game captured and collared a wolf found north of I-40 near the Grand Canyon.

They then released it, hoping the wolf would reconnect with another wolf spotted in the same area so they could move it to its designated habitat south of I-40.

“The only wolf that wears a collar, her name is Hope,” Anderson said.

Game and Fish said I-40 is the hard line for the wolf population area, so they don’t want the animals north of that area.

However, conservation groups, including Anderson, have said moving the wolves could violate the Endangered Species Act if the state can’t prove the animals came from the South. So Anderson said he sent the state a letter of intent to sue.

“A 60-day window is required under the Endangered Species Act, and that gives agencies about two months to tell us why they believe they are not violating the Endangered Species Act or to change their actions before we can take them to court,” Anderson said. said.

She also wants to remind the public that this goes against the law to kill wolves, an endangered species.

Arizona Game and Fish says it cannot comment further on pending litigation, but believes it is in full compliance with the law.

Anderson said they just wanted to protect the wolves.

“Until they can prove that these wolves are not dispersing, the permit does not apply and that is plain language, and therefore they would be violating the Endangered Species Act if they harmed or were harassing these wolves,” she said.

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