Is the Mexican wolf listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act?
The Mexican wolf was listed as endangered in 1976 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and has been protected as endangered since that time. Killing one “is a violation of state and federal law and can result in criminal penalties of up to $50,000, and/or not more than one year in jail, and/or a civil penalty of up to $25,000.” Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What are the parameters under which the Fish and Wildlife Service would currently be willing to downlist the Mexican wolf from endangered to threatened status?
TO DOWNLIST, to threatened status, the United States population average over a four-year period must be greater or equal to 320 Mexican wolves and the gene diversity available in the captive population must have been incorporated into the United States population through scheduled releases (cross- fostering) of wolves and 22 of such wolves must have survived to breeding age, as identified in the delisting criteria. As of April 2025, 21 had survived to breeding age.
What does the Fish and Wildlife Service require to de-list the Mexican wolf in the United States?
TO DE-LIST, the United States population average over an eight-year period must be greater than or equal to 320 Mexican wolves and the population must exceed 320 wolves in the last three years of the eight-year period, and the Mexican population over an eight-year period must be greater than or equal to 200 Mexican wolves and the population must exceed 200 wolves in the last three years of the eight-year period. Gene diversity available in the captive population must have been incorporated into both the United States and Mexican populations through scheduled releases of a sufficient number of wolves to result in 22 released Mexican wolves surviving to breeding age in the United States population and 37 released Mexican wolves surviving to breeding age in the Mexico population. There are currently an estimated 10-30 Mexican wolves in Mexico.
COST OF THE MEXICAN WOLF PROGRAM
What does the United States spend each year to recover the Mexican wolf?
Not counting private donations, the total cost through 2024 was $74,617,927. The annual cost for each of the past three years (2022-2024) has exceeded $5 million.
https://www.fws.gov/media/mexican-wolf-project-costs-date