ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Wildlife managers have removed two Mexican gray wolves from the wild and are looking for a third as they try to address conflicts with ranchers in southwestern New Mexico.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the two wolves were recently captured in an area of the Gila National Forest where ranchers reported a dozen instances of livestock deaths in four months.
Agency spokesman Mark Davis says wildlife managers caught two young females suspected of being the culprits. Tests are being done to determine if they have the right animals.
Environmentalists have asked that the animals be released and that the removal order for the third wolf be cancelled. They contend more should be done to mitigate the conflicts, saying the carcasses of cows that have died from other causes need to be removed to discourage scavenging.
