Endangered Wolf Makes Herself a Cozy Bed of Snow
A wolf curls up in a bed of snow, enjoying a peaceful nap. Wolf Conservation Society shared the video of their Mexican gray wolf, Jean, and writes, “There’s something so calming about watching the wolves” and we’d have to agree
They share how Jean helps them meditate with her “soothing presence” and that her “eyes hold great wisdom and compassion, qualities that are invaluable in the wolf and human worlds”, qualities they say can help people stay calm and grounded in these times of uncertainty.
The group also mentioned that Jean represents the Wolf Conservation Center’s participation in the active effort to to save her species from extinction. They explain that the Mexican gray wolf or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America!
They add that by the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild and that only a handful remaining in captivity. It was only in 1998 the Mexican gray wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act.
The last annual census found nearly 200 Mexican gray wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. A few dozen are also present in Mexico, AP News reports. Sadly, the number of wolves re-released into the wild would have been higher if not for them being continually killed illegally. Since 1998, 119 wolves were killed illegally according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The federal agency released a final plan in September 2022 to address the Mexican gray wolf killings.
For more information about the Wolf Conservation Center’s involvement in wolf recovery, visit their website at www.nywolf.org.
