Mexican Wolf Pup and His Vulture Buddies

The world is filled with unlikely friendships. This just might be another one! This 5 month old Mexican gray wolf pup represents the Wolf Conservation Center's active participation to save a species from the brink of extinction. The WCC is one of 54 facilities in the U.S. and Mexico participating in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan - a bi-national initiative whose primary purpose is to support the reestablishment of Mexican wolves in the wild through captive breeding, public education, and research. Background The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. In 1998 the wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act. Today in the U.S., there is a single wild population comprising only 97 individuals - a decrease from 110 counted at the end of 2014. For more information about wolves and the WCC's participation in wolf recovery, please visit our website at and follow us on Facebook () and twitter (), and Instagram ()