Endangered Mexican Wolves Arrive at Wildlife West Nature Park

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Three new Endangered Mexican wolves arrived at Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood on Monday, December 21, 2009.  The wolves were flown directly to Double Eagle airport in Albuquerque from the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. through the generosity of two volunteer pilots from the LightHawk organization.

Wildlife West Nature Park was selected to house this endangered species by representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Species Survival Plan for Mexican Wolves, because of their excellent facility and exceptional reputation in wildlife management.  Wildlife West is one of the premier nature parks in the southwest. It is home to 25 species of native, non-releasable wildlife, including two other Mexican wolves, cougars, black bear, fox, javelina, bobcat and more.

Linda Moore, a Biologist from the Smithsonian Institution, accompanied the wolves to help with the successful transition. The two female wolves are four years old and the male is 11 years old.  They had been living together as a pack at the National Zoological Park.  At Wildlife West they will now have a new three-fourths of an acre habitat with many piñon and juniper trees and natural arroyos to explore.
The new habitat was built last summer by youth working through the Youth Conservation Corps program at Wildlife West.  Youth also constructed an overnight blind for wildlife adventurers and photographers to spend the night observing these magnificent  animals.  The following morning they go with park zookeepers on a feeding tour of all of the animals.  Reservations are required to participate in this unique program by calling Wildlife West at 505-281-7655.

Wildlife West is one of the few places where people can be close to this endangered species and learn all about them.  In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced Mexican wolves into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, which consists of the entire Apache and Gila National Forests in west-central New Mexico and east-central Arizona.  The goal was to reestablish 100 Mexican wolves in the area by 2005.  The most recent census of the area found only 52 wolves confirmed in the wild.  Much needs to be done for the success of this crucial survival program.  Public education is key and Wildlife West's goal is to be instrumental in helping that aspect of the mission, especially with children and youth.

LightHawk has partnered with community and environmental organizations for 30 years.  It is the largest and oldest volunteer-based environmental aviation organization in North America.  They have completed thousands of flight missions involving more than 700 flights each year for hundreds of partners, like Wildlife West, throughout ten countries in North and Central America.