Another Federal Wolf
Bites The Dust In SW

PHOENIX —(AP)— Only four of the 11 rare Mexican gray wolves released in Arizona are still alive and roaming, after another animal was found dead over the weekend.

A member of the team that keeps track of the wolves found the female wolf's body Sunday near the Arizona-New Mexico line, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Hans Stuart said Monday. The biologist was checking on the wolf because its radio collar showed the animal had not moved for some time.

A necropsy was planned to determine the cause of death.

Of the animals released this year in the rugged area of southeastern Arizona, another female wolf is missing and thought dead, one female wolf was killed by a mountain lion, and a male wolf was shot and killed by a camper.

Three other wolves had to be recaptured because they wandered too far from where they were released. And the first lobo pup born in the wild in nearly 50 years — born to the wolf that was killed by the mountain lion — also is missing and presumed dead.

Biologists overseeing the project have repeatedly said they expected many of the wolves to die in the early stages of the reintroduction program. (Yeah, no big deal; it’s just tax money. There’s more where that came from. — Ed.)