A state of emergency may be declared, according to commissioners in a rural New Mexico county, because endangered Mexican gray wolves that appear to have no fear of people are stealing pets from front yards and killing and maiming cattle.
The commissioners in Catron County are meeting Thursday to discuss a resolution that would provide funding to hire additional personnel to look into the damage complaints and assist in hazing the wolves, which is the most recent flashpoint over efforts to reintroduce wolves into the western U.S.
“This is an immediate health and safety hazard to individuals and property,” Catron County commissioners stated. “Please be aware of your surroundings when outdoors at all times. Maintain constant supervision of children and pets. Alert our elderly citizens to take appropriate precautions.”
Officials in portions of Oregon and Northern California say the wolves appear brash, and more cattle is being found dead, so it’s not just a problem in rural New Mexico.
In recent weeks, two California counties have issued emergency declarations, and the sheriff of one recently asked state wildlife officials for assistance.
The tiniest subspecies of gray wolves are Mexican wolves. Since the first captive gray wolves were released into the wild in the late 1990s, ranchers have opposed attempts to restore these more uncommon animals.
They contend that the wolves threaten their own way of life, which is already threatened by protracted drought and growing costs, even in the face of weak measures for compensating losses.
Mexican gray wolves should be allowed in the Southwest, according to environmentalists, who frequently blame the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not releasing more captive wolves to guarantee genetic variety in the wild population.
They argue that no instance of a Mexican wolf attacking or hurting a human has ever been documented in history.
At least 286 Mexican gray wolves were found in Arizona and New Mexico, according to the most recent survey, which also marked the ninth consecutive year that the population has increased.
In 2024, there were 99 documented livestock kills, according to the wolf recovery team, although they indicate that figure has been declining recently.
Last year, 290 hazing operations were successfully carried out by wildlife managers to deter wolves from attacking livestock and rural residences.
According to Catron County’s draft resolution, the wolf reintroduction initiative has jeopardized the locals’ culture and customs.
In order to support county authorities when necessary, it would urge the governor to order the New Mexico National Guard into action and request emergency financial aid from the state.
Ranchers in Lake County, Oregon, which is home to some of the biggest cattle operations in the state, claimed they had to bring on more staff to keep an eye on their herds all day and night. To assist with the effort, some purchased night vision goggles.
In February, that county commission requested assistance from the governor to remove a collared wolf suspected of being responsible for multiple cattle killings, citing a public safety and livestock emergency.
When nonlethal measures failed, wildlife managers killed the wolf.
Modoc County in mid-March also declared an emergency, and Sierra County in California did the same Tuesday. Increased wolf activity has also been recorded in neighboring Lassen County.
Additionally, a group of Colorado residents is collecting signatures on a petition to put the issue of wolf reintroductions on the ballot in 2026.
Recently, a collared wolf that seemed to have crossed the state boundary into Wyoming and murdered multiple sheep was killed by federal wildlife management in Colorado.
While state wildlife managers in Idaho permit limited wolf trapping and snaring as a means of managing the population, legislators in Montana are proposing legislation to prolong the wolf hunting season.
Over the years, gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and elsewhere have also been the subject of lawsuits.
The fate of a management rule and the recovery area’s limits are still up for debate in a federal appeals court, and individuals in favor of and opposed to the reintroduction method have been fighting the federal government for decades over the wolves that roam portions of Arizona and New Mexico.
This information has been sourced from AP News.
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