El Paso Mexican Gray Wolf To Be Transferred To Pre-Release Facility
As a result of the Endangered Species Act, many animals are now considered to be very valuable, like the Mexican gray wolf.
Efforts are under way to save the animal from extinction. The El Paso Zoo is making its mark by taking the steps to possibly place one Mexican gray wolf back into the wild.
Zoo officials say it’s a great honor to participate and help save the biodiversity of the earth.
“We’re helping to hold the entire ecosystem intact,” said Rick LoBello, education curator at the zoo.
He said the Mexican gray wolf used to live in this part of Texas. Now only a handful live at the zoo.
About 40 Mexican gray wolves have been reintroduced to the wild in parts of the Gila and Apache national forests in New Mexico and Arizona.
Many have also been released in parts of Yellowstone and Glacier national parks.
For several decades these wolves didn’t exist in the wild, LoBellow said.
“Because man didn’t want to cooperate and allow these animals to exist during the past hundred years, there was an actual effort to eradicated them from the planet,” he explained.
On Monday, an 8-year-old pregnant wolf named Fern will be transferred to a pre-release facility Washington state.
LoBello said many wolves previously in captivity have successfully adapted to the wild.
“There actually have been wolves that have been born in the wild that have successfully survived in the wild – learning how to kill animals they need to eat,” he said.
But not everyone appreciates the efforts to reintroduce the wolves into the wild. LoBello said many have been killed illegally.
He said that’s why education is key to preventing wolves from getting killed by humans.
“If the world ever becomes unsafe for animals, it’s not going to be a very safe place for people,” said LoBello.
He said Fern could be one of the wolves reintroduced to the wild.
To help the endangered species survive, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has approved a temporary ban on trapping throughout the Gila and Apache national forests. The ban is expected to last six months.
