Federal agency mistakenly kills endangered, possibly pregnant Mexican gray wolf

CLIFTON, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - A federal agency mistakenly killed an endangered and possibly pregnant Mexican gray wolf in Arizona.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an unknown federal agency killed a 7-year-old wolf named Asiza on April 14.

The incident came after the Mexican wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Brady McGee, authorized the USDA’s Wildlife Services to kill an uncollared wolf in the Bear Canyon pack in Greenlee County.

In the order, he specifically said only an uncollared wolf should be killed, so the collared wolves remained in the pack.

The directive also said officials were not to kill a breeding female wearing a broken radio collar, which was Asiza.

A two-sentence memo from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later said the wolf was “mistakenly lethally removed.”

The removal order was issued in response to a series of cattle attacks on public land between March 2024 and last month. There were six confirmed deadly wolf attacks, four confirmed livestock injuries, and two other incidents under investigation.

Before the killing, the Bear Canyon pack consisted of seven wolves: three pups, three adults, and one whose age is unknown.

Advocacy groups are outraged by the killing of Asiza. Lobos of the Southwest posted on Instagram, calling out officials, asking, “Why take chances with lethal removal of a critically endangered wolf?”

“We recognize that this is an incredibly challenging time for federal workers, and thus for the wildlife and wild places they defend, but there must be a thorough investigation into this tragic mistake,” Erin Hunt, managing director of Lobos of the Southwest, said in a statement. “We owe it to the wolves and to current and future generations to ensure that these critical guardians roam safely and freely in the wild. Asiza’s family deserves justice.”

Regan Downey, director of education at the Wolf Conservation Center, added: “The killing of Asiza is extremely upsetting, both for her family and for lobo supporters across the country. Her death endangers the Bear Canyon pack’s survival; research shows that killing a breeding female can destabilize the pack and increase the likelihood of future conflicts.”

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.