ABQjournal: U.S. Kills Wolf, Hunts His Mate By Tania Soussan, Journal Staff Writer
The Mexican gray wolf reintroduction program took another stumble this week with the shooting of a male wolf by the government and efforts to capture or kill his mate.
The pair, known as the Nantac Pack, have killed four cows this month, most recently on Sunday. They also were involved in two possible and two probable depredation incidents involving cows since being released in New Mexico on April 25.
The male was killed Sunday in New Mexico by a sharpshooter on the program team. Efforts to trap or kill the female were continuing Monday, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Elizabeth Slown.
Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity said, “We’re very troubled that they’re wiping out yet another pack.”
The wild population of the endangered wolves has been declining since 2003. The loss of the Nantac wolves would put the current count at 31-45 adults plus an unknown number of pups in Arizona and New Mexico.
Several other wolves have been removed from the wild or shot for killing cattle in the last several weeks. …
Meanwhile, the Center for Biological Diversity and 20 other conservation and animal protection groups called on new Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to issue an emergency moratorium on killing depredating wolves until the wild population reaches 100 and stabilizes.
Problem animals should be removed by lethal means and shooting wolves for preying on livestock is a nesecary action . Ranchers have a right to protect their livestock using all methods under the juristiction of the law, However, the law is often too favoratable toward the wolf instead of our local economy.