Mexican Wolf Recovery Setback - Pipestem Pups Euthanized

The Paragon Foundation News Service (PFNS)

9/22/02 - PFNS - Ranchers in the Beaverhead area were relieved when, after a long stretch of livestock depredations, the Mexican wolves known as the Pipestem pair were finally captured. The pair had recently reunited after a stretch of time traveling apart.

Prior to the capture of the wolves by helicopter, a litter of pups was found in a cave being frequented by the female wolf. Seven healthy pups were pulled from the cave a week before the parents were captured. Ranchers and wolf recovery personnel were surprised to see that at least one of the tiny pups had spots. DNA tests performed on the litter proved their sire was a male dog or wolf hybrid and not the Mexican wolf that was supposed to be their sire.

Ranchers in the area were plagued by a series of calf losses from the time the wolves were first reported in the area. Approximately twenty-three calves were missing when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employees were called in to investigate the few carcasses that were found. Cowboys from the Slash and O Bar O ranches had seen what they believed to be a feral dog pack in the area and had killed three feral dogs. FWS employees with the Mexican Wolf Program only confirmed three depredations attributed to the wolves. FWS would not confirm more calves being killed by wolves, determining instead that hybrid animals were responsible for any losses that could not be accounted for.

Two weeks prior to the capture of the Pipestem wolves, a coalition of agriculture, ranching and county groups filed a sixty-day notice of intent to sue over a violation of National Environmental Policy Ace (NEPA). Allowing wolves to have access to hybrid and feral animals is a violation of NEPA, as well as the original Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the program. Included in the notice is the claim that an incorrect equation is used in the EIS to determine potential livestock deaths by wolves.

"The Pipestem female made our case for us," said rancher Matt Schneberger. "Though it was a surprise to see the puppies weren't pure wolves, it was not a surprise to know there were opportunities for her to breed with something else. I just did not expect it so soon."

Ranchers say at issue is the fact that in spite of FWS claims that wolves are breeding successfully in the wild, the number of purebred wolves born in Arizona is not known. Ranchers believe this is a chronic, unaddressed problem in the reintroduction area.

Arizona rancher Barbara Marks has seen Mexican wolves in heat trying to attract her cow dog during the breeding season. "We have had to stop using our dogs when the wolves are in the area. They are attracted to them."

In New Mexico, the Schnebergers have discovered the same thing. "Wolves covered many miles to be near our dogs. We have to build kennels to keep them safe," said Matt.

Rancher Gene Blair sent his dogs to a friend who lived more than a hundred miles away so they wouldn't be killed by the wolves. Yet another rancher had his female cow pup stalked by a female wolf in the same area the Pipestem pups were found.

"Until this problem is sorted out by testing all the uncolored and young wolves out there, we think this program and any further releases should be put on indefinite hold," says Schneberger. "These wolves seem to have a very strong need to diversify their gene pool. With the number of feral dogs out here, it is going to be a tremendous problem - one the recovery program should not ignore."

PFNS is a public service of The Paragon Foundation, Alamogordo, NM 1-877-847-3443