The Endangered Mexican wolf has struggled to survive in the wild public lands of Arizona and New Mexico since 1998. In the Winter of 1998 eleven Mexican wolves were reintroduced into Arizona from captive breeding facilities throughout the United States. They had been totally extirpated from their native lands by the 1960's.
The Hawks Nest pack was one of the first packs released in 1998. Though many other packs have fallen victim to poachers and government removals, the Hawks Nest pack is still out there. Government wolf removals were done because some wolves depredated domestic cattle grazing on public lands. The Hawks Nest pack of Mexican wolves has never been implicated in any depredations during all of their years of living within a grazing allotment in Arizona. This pack has been very successful wild wolves, raising pups to disperse and start packs if their own.
On July 1, 2010 Federal authorities announced they were investigating the shooting death of the Hawks Nest Alpha male Mexican wolf. The body of the Alpha male was found June 18, 2010.
Each year the number of Mexican wolves killed by poachers increases. Last year it was mostly puppies that suffered. Of the thirty-one puppies born during the Spring of 2009, and visually confirmed by the Interagency Field Team, only four were still alive at the end of the year. Four puppies were found dead, these deaths are under investigation, twenty-seven puppies simply disappeared.
So far in 2010 four Mexican wolves have been found dead, all these deaths are under investigation. Three of four of these rare wolves were the Alpha males of their packs. Taking the Alpha male from the pack during denning season reduces the chances of the puppies surviving.