I find the story of the Mexican wolf to be so disheartening. It’s so sad to think that state politics in New Mexico is what’s causing the demise of this species.
In the land of America, where we unite under the idea of getting a second chance, how are we granting this opportunity to these wolves? New Mexico and Arizona started a recovery plan only to abandon it mid-way — a despicable way to run any kind of plan.
We owe these wolves the chance of survival, in the wild, where they belong. I urge New Mexico and Arizona to release their Mexican wolves immediately into a wilderness area where they can mate and have future generations that hopefully never get a taste of their parents’ past.
Laura Sneddon
Los Gatos, Calif.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 6:26 pm on Sat, Dec 24, 2011.
I have a better idea. Why don't we release the Mexican Wolves in Los Gatos, California ( a San Francisco suburb....does that surprise anyone) or in the Oakland Hills.
Mexican Wolves are carnivories. They need to eat 3-5 lbs of meat every day to survive. The area in New Mexico that the Mexican Wolves were released into are 95% rural ranchlands...no farming...just....'CATTLE RAISING" = Hello Houston...we have a problem here !!!
Did someone say ...CATTLE...yes, Virginia, cattle live on ranches ...Mexican Wolves .."LOVE"....nice, young, tender steers(cattel). They don't run as fast as rabbits, deer or elk. The Law allows for Mexican Wolves to be killed if they attack cattle on private ranches but not on the US Forestry land that the ranchers lease. Catron and Gila Counties in New Mexico where the Mexican Wolves were released has very little rain fall therefore they have very sparse vegetation. Ranchers need to lease thousands of acres of Public land (US Forest and BLM land) to feed enough cattle to be profitable. If a wolf kills a rancher's steer on Public-leased Land he must have a Forestry Service representative verify the Mexican Wolf kill to be paid for the loss of the steer. Many of the kills occur 20 miles from any road. Out of more than 600 cattle killed on the Forestry lands that just five ranchers have leased...only 70 of the kills had been compensated for.
The small towns in these two New Mexico Counties reported many household pets killied or maimed by Mexican Wolves. You can go on the web and search under "Mexican Wolf pet attacks" to see the grisly photos.
Elk numbers are drastically down in these two New Mexico Counties and so are mule and the rare Coues whitetail deer numbers. But the "ECOLOGISTS and NATURE LOVERS" could care less about them. The "Ecologists" don't have to put up with the Mexican Wolf depredations on cattle and pets....they just ...."LOVE THE IDEA OF MEXICAN WOLVES ROAMING FREE". To them...Nature is just one big "DISNEYLAND".
Well tell that to the US Forestry Service which had to kill 20 Mexican Wolves themselves for committing 3 or more attacks on cattle, pets or harassing and following children walking home from the bus stop to their ranch home. They even had to build "Wolf-safe" enclosed School Bus Stops in Catron County because of the number of "scary Mexican Wolf vs School Kid" incidents.
So give us a break with the ....Mexican Wolf S@b-Stories. If you don't live with them out in the boonies...then as GW Bush used to say...."Lady, you have no dog in this hunt" or as the Courts say....YOU HAVE NO STANDING IN THIS ISSUE !!!
samkat posted at 6:42 pm on Sat, Dec 24, 2011.
Leon: Sorry to burst your bubble but my son and I hunted the Unit 1 area where the wolf release has been in place for several years. We saw elk up to gazoo and the wolves were howling next to our camper while we were there.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:06 pm on Sat, Dec 24, 2011.
Dear Samkat (whom ever that might be...since the name is withheld .....lol).
I have cousins that ranched along the Blue and they have told me all about these problems for the last 10 years.....you might have a different perspective if you lived with the Mexican Wolf problem 365 days of the year instead of a long week-end hunting get-a-way. Next time try up by Pie Town...350+ bulls and...oh,before I forget be sure and tell the ranchers in the cafes in Reserve and Pie Town how much you ...LUV THE MEXICAN WOLF.....better yet...wear a "I (heart) THE MEXICAN WOLF" tee-shirt and put a ....."SAVE THE MEXICAN WOLF"...bumper sticker on you truck......LM@O.....ROTF.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:37 pm on Sat, Dec 24, 2011.
I know, Leon! Let's let Sheriff capture these outlaws and send them to prisons, there to feed the other Mexican wolves Sheriff Joe is so passionate about!
Slabside posted at 8:08 pm on Sat, Dec 24, 2011.
Dale, why are you so stupid?
Dale Whiting posted at 8:02 am on Sun, Dec 25, 2011.
Slabside, care to explain yourself?
As a neo-con you fail to see how far you have strayed from true conservative principles. Read my January 19, 2011 article on what it means to be conservative, then think about it. Being lead around by a nose ring chained to this neo-conservative "new way of thinking about what conservatism is", aren't you the one who is stupid?
lws07 posted at 1:28 am on Mon, Dec 26, 2011.
Go ahead and release them in the suburbs of SF. There's a deer and coyote problem anyway, people there would love it.
And if you're leasing your land from the federal government, all of which we pay taxes to, then you should really get used to the fact that everyone has the right to give their opinion- we're all paying for your land use.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 8:15 am on Mon, Dec 26, 2011.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....somehow I don't think that your typical Nancy Pelosi/B. Hussein Obama "San Francisco Ultra-Left Wing Democrat" suburbanite would be "happy campers" for very long seeing..."Bowser" with his ears chewed off or "Fluffy" with her head chewed off by these Mexican Wolves like the pets that residents in Catron County, New Mexico have experienced year in and year out.
You are right about the deer and coyote problem...that would be taken care of in a "San Francisco Minute"....to the last "bite"....lol.
cred posted at 4:29 pm on Tue, Dec 27, 2011.
Laura in CA writes "It’s so sad to think that state politics in New Mexico is what’s causing the demise of this species."
It's not the politics in NM that is causing anything with respect to the Mexican wolf, but the fact that too many of the wolves are raised in captivity and then dumped in New Mexico with no idea how to survive. I don't know why PETA hasn't gotten after the Mexican wolf people for animal abuse. If you dumped a dog in the forest like they do wolves and you got caught, you'd get arrested.
So don't be looking at NM politics - look at the environmental groups that push this animal abuse for their own agendas (that would be the agenda of filing lots of lawsuits and settling out of court for millions of dollars without ever doing one little teensy bit of environmental work).
wldtrkey posted at 3:18 pm on Tue, Jan 3, 2012.
There are only about 50 Mexican gray wolves ("lobos") in the wilds of New Mexico and Arizona--not enough to ensure their survival. More than 300 lobos are in captivity, waiting to be released into the wild as part of a reintroduction program. Releasing wolves directly into New Mexico--where the best remaining unoccupied habitat exists--is critical to quickly boosting numbers and gene diversity in the wild population, but for bureaucratic reasons the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) won't do it, citing an outdated rule that prevents direct releases into New Mexico. The FWS could easily change this rule by issuing an Environmental Assessment and putting it out for public review, but it refuses to do so. Tell the FWS to take action before it's too late for Mexican wolves by signing our petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tell-us-fish-and-wildlife-service-release-mexican-wolves-into-new-mexico-before-its-too-late/