About the Lobo (Mexican Greywolf)
The Mexican Gray Wolf, Canus lupus baileyi, is the most rare, most genetically distinct and smallest subspecies of the Gray Wolf in North America.
It weighs about 50-80 pounds and measures 5 1/2 feet from nose to tail and stands 28 to 32 inches at the shoulder. Its coat is distinctive and richly colored, ranging from gray, black, rust to buff with distinguishing facial patterns.
The lobo had almost been wiped out of the Southwest and Mexico by the 1950’s. By 1976, the Mexican Gray Wolf was declared an endangered species and has remained so ever since.
Currently there are about 52 wild wolves in New Mexico and Arizona due to a recovery program headed by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
They are bred in captive breeding facilities, equipped with a radio collar for tracking and released into the wild. There they collide with human interests such as held by the live stock industry and citizens from the surrounding areas. The reasons why they had been almost extirpated in the first place still exist.
Deep love and appreciation for the lobo coexist at the same time. Among most cultures in New Mexico, the lobo has its place. Wolf lovers and conservationists span all cultural backgrounds. During recent years the wolf has gained popularity in the hearts of the people.
Yet, the wolves in New Mexico and Arizona are not thriving. Illegal poaching, traffic deaths, recapturing of whole packs and digging up of pups has kept the population at a minimum, with only a few actual breeding pairs remaining. The lobo is facing extinction for the second time.
It is our deep belief that this can be turned around by looking at creative solutions through education, outreach and love and appreciation for all creatures, wild and domesticated.