MEXICAN WOLF (Canis lulus ssp. baileyi)

Mexican wolf: one of a breeding pair in an enclosure at Sonoran Desert Museum, Arizona

The Mexican wolf inhabits mountains, woodlands and riparian (water-fed) habitats, not desert areas as such. It has been exterminated from the USA (where the last sighting was made in the early 1970s) and Mexico (mid 1980s) and now occurs only in zoos. However, in 1998 the United States Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced wolves into the mountains of eastern Arizona in an attempt to re-establish this predator as a wild population. Thirteen captive-reared animals were used in this initial attempt and are being monitered. Five were shot, one was hit by a car, and one female is missing, presumed dead. The other six animals seem to have become established. They are seldom seen because they avoid people.

Mexican wolf: one of a breeding pair in an enclosure at Sonoran Desert Museum, Arizona