Mexican Wolf Recovery Program : progress report #11, reporting period : January 1 – December 31, 2008

The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is listed as endangered under the Act in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is the smallest, rarest, southernmost occurring, and most genetically distinct subspecies of the North American gray wolf. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the lead agency responsible for recovery of the Mexican wolf , pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act, or ESA). The Mexican Wolf Recovery Program has two interrelated components: 1) Recovery – includes aspects of the program administered by the Service that pertain to the overall goal of Mexican wolf recovery and delisting from the list of threatened and endangered species, and 2) Reintroduction – includes aspects of the program implemented by the Service and cooperating States, Tribes, other Federal agencies, and counties that pertain to management of the reintroduced Mexican wolf population in the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA). This report provides details on both aspects of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. The reporting period for this progress report is January 1 – December 31, 2008. The SSP has been extremely successful and has steadily expanded throughout the years. In 2008, there were approximately 340 captive Mexican wolves managed in 47 facilities in the United States and Mexico. The SSP’s goal of housing a minimum of 240 wolves ensures the security of the species in captivity and produces surplus animals for reintroduction.