At least 7 Mexican wolf pups successfully cross-fostered into wild packs

Cross-fostered Mexican wolf pups. (Arizona Game and Fish)

At least seven Mexican wolf pups have successfully cross-fostered into wild packs since last spring, Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said.

Members of the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team and the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan cross-fostered 20 genetically diverse wolf pups from captive facilities into litters of wild wolf packs.

The IFT reports that one of two pups cross-fostered from the Phoenix Zoo to the Iron Creek pack in New Mexico was caught and radio-collared, as well as one of two pups cross-fostered from the Endangered Wolf Center to the San Mateo pack in New Mexico.

Also caught and collared were three of four pups cross-fostered from the Sedgwick County Zoo to the Hoodoo pack in Arizona and one of four pups cross-fostered from the Endangered Wolf Center to the Dark Canyon pack in New Mexico.

One of three pups cross-fostered from the Endangered Wolf Center to the Elk Horn pack in Arizona that was caught and collared was found dead this month.

In 2019, the IFT captured and collared two of the 12 pups cross-fostered into the wild.

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