In a move that could change the status of one of America’s rarest predators, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that might see the Mexican gray wolf removed from the endangered species list. This decision has sparked a conversation about the future of these wolves, which were perilously close to extinction before being reintroduced in the late 1990s.
Since their reintroduction to Arizona and New Mexico in 1998, the Mexican gray wolf population has slowly grown. Today, nearly 300 of these animals roam the region, a significant increase from the brink of extinction they faced decades ago.
However, conservationists express concerns about delisting the species. Sandy Bahr of the Sierra Club highlights two primary issues: the current population lacks sufficient genetic diversity, and their numbers aren’t yet robust enough for delisting. She explained, “There are a lot of animals we wouldn’t have if it weren’t for the Endangered Species Act. Of course, some of them have actually recovered, but the Mexican gray wolf just isn’t there yet.”
The executive order directs the secretary of the Interior to evaluate whether the Mexican gray wolf has fulfilled the necessary recovery criteria. A recommendation on whether to delist or downgrade the protection status of the wolves is expected within 90 days.
