We wanted to see them while there were still a few out there—Jean Ossorio
Less than 120 Mexican wolves live in the Gila and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests of New Mexico and Arizona, so it’s just not that easy to spot one of the creatures. Jean Ossorio has camped out almost 500 nights over the 20-plus years since endangered Mexican wolves were reintroduced to their native habitat. She has had 56 sightings.
In this recent article by Tracy Staedter about Ossorio’s wolf watching adventures, the writer shares her experience camping out with Ossorio in 2016. On that trip they lucked out. Not only did they hear howling overnight, but were able to watch a family of wolves, the Hoodoo Pack, with their pups the next morning.
One of my favorite parts of the article is Ossorio’s photo of the contents of her pack–a rain-proof notebook, a track ruler, a bag of Traxtone (for making casts of tracks) and her mascot, Camo Lobo, among other things.
Kawi
Photo Credit: Paula Nixon
Although it’s not the same as watching a family of lobos cavort in a mountain meadow, there are other ways of getting a look at a Mexican wolf. Many zoos and conservation centers are home to Mexican wolves, participating in the species survival program. I have listened to wolves howl and watched them run and play and nap in facilities spread across the country. From the Wolf Conservation Center in New York state to the Living Desert in Palm Desert, California. Here’s a list of places where lobos live in captivity.
The place I visit most often to wolf watch is the Albuquerque BioPark. My only equipment is notebook, my cellphone camera, and a pair of birding binoculars that I always carry in the trunk of my car. These days there are two wolves sharing the public enclosure. Kawi, pictured above, is a female who has been at the zoo for a few years. Her new mate is Ryder, recently moved from the Binder Park Zoo in Michigan. You can see pictures of him in this press release.
It’s wolf breeding season so I’ll be keeping watch, stopping by to check on Kawi and Ryder in mid- to late-spring to see if they have pups.