Snatched pets and livestock deaths blamed on wolves raise alarms in rural New Mexico

Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Commissioners in a rural New Mexico county say pets are being snatched from front yards and livestock are being maimed and killed by endangered Mexican gray wolves that seem to have no fear of humans, prompting them to consider declaring a state of emergency.

In the latest flash point over efforts to reintroduce wolves into the western U.S., the commissioners in Catron County are meeting Thursday to consider a resolution that would make available funds to hire more people to investigate the damage reports and help haze the Mexican wolves.

“This is an immediate health and safety hazard to individuals and property,” Catron County commissioners said in a recent news release. “Please be aware of your surroundings when outdoors at all times. Maintain constant supervision of children and pets. Alert our elderly citizens to take appropriate precautions.”

It’s not just an issue in rural New Mexico, as officials in parts of Oregon and Northern California say gray wolves — the larger, more common cousins of Mexican gray wolves — seem brazen and more livestock is turning up dead. Two California counties have declared emergencies in recent weeks and the sheriff in another recently requested the help of state wildlife officials.

Mexican wolves are the smallest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Ranchers have been at odds with efforts to reintroduce them since the first release in the late 1990s. Despite programs for reimbursing losses, ranchers say wolves pose a threat to their way of life, which is already challenged by prolonged drought and rising prices.

Environmentalists argue that Mexican gray wolves should have a place in the Southwest, often criticizing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not releasing more captive wolves to ensure genetic diversity among the wild population. They contend there’s no incident in recorded history of a Mexican wolf attacking or injuring a person.

The latest survey of Mexican wolves showed there were at least 286 in Arizona and New Mexico, marking the ninth straight year of population growth. Federal wildlife managers reported 100 livestock kills in 2024, saying that number is decreasing.

Wildlife managers conducted 290 successful hazing operations last year to scare wolves away from rural homes and livestock, and the Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday that the agency is committed to doing what it can to minimize wolf-livestock conflict and reduce economic effects on ranchers.

“Staff phone numbers have been shared with livestock producers across the recovery area, and we are in contact with producers almost daily in response to their requests for information and/or management response,” said Aislinn Maestas, a spokesperson for the agency.

In the proposed resolution, Catron County states that the culture and customs of residents have been compromised by the Mexican wolf reintroduction program. It would request emergency financial aid from the state and asks for the governor to order the New Mexico National Guard into service to support county authorities as needed.

In Oregon, ranchers in Lake County — home to some of that state’s largest cattle operations — said they were forced to hire extra workers to patrol their herds around the clock because of issues with gray wolves there. Some bought night vision goggles to help with the task. That county commission declared a public safety and livestock emergency in February and asked the governor to help with removing a collared wolf thought to be behind several livestock kills. Wildlife managers ended up killing the wolf after nonlethal efforts failed.

In California, Sierra County declared an emergency Tuesday, following similar action by Modoc County in mid-March. Neighboring Lassen County also has reported increased gray wolf activity.

And in Colorado, a group of citizens is gathering petition signatures in hopes of putting the question of wolf reintroductions to voters through a ballot initiative in 2026. Federal wildlife managers recently killed a collared wolf that appeared to have crossed the state line into Wyoming and killed several sheep.

In Montana, lawmakers are considering legislation to extend the wolf hunting season, while wildlife managers in Idaho allow for limited trapping and snaring as a way to manage the population there.

Gray wolves in the Northern Rockies have been a source of lawsuits over the years. Those for and against the reintroduction strategy in the Southwest also have been waging legal battles with the federal government, with the fate of a management rule and the boundaries of the recovery area pending before a federal appeals court.