SANTA FE — Male Mexican wolf 3065 was captured on Friday, Nov. 7, north of Interstate 40, north of Gallina, N.M.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish captured the wolf by helicopter. Afterward, he was returned to the wild in the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) in the Gila National Forest in Grant County, N.M.
The decision to capture and transfer M3065 was made in accordance with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) current recovery permit, which states that "authorized permittees may capture and at the direction and discretion of the USFWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator, return to the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area, or transfer to captivity or Mexico, any Mexican wolves that have dispersed from the experimental population and that establish wholly outside of the MWEPA in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah."
M3065 first moved north of Interstate 40 in New Mexico around mid-July. Since late October, he has made significant movements to the north, showing no signs of returning to the MWEPA. Dispersal events like this often occur when a wolf is in search of a mate. As there are no other known Mexican wolves in the area, there was a potential risk of mortality as well as a likelihood of a negative interaction or breeding with domestic dogs.
