Release of Mexican Gray Wolves makes critics howl

January 27, 1998
Web posted at: 3:33 p.m. EST (2033 GMT)

ALPINE, Arizona (CNN) -- Mexican Gray Wolves once ran wild in the hills of Mexico and Arizona, and the U.S. government helped farmers and ranchers eradicate the predator at the turn of the century. Now the government wants to expand the species -- and that has some people worried and angry.

Mexican Gray Wolves were declared an endangered species in 1976; today there are only 175 of the animals left -- all in captivity. To boost the population, the government plans to release the wolves in Arizona in about two months.

A wolf repopulation program already is under way in Yellowstone National Park, triggering a lawsuit that could halt the project.

"It's going to be a disaster for everybody that lives in this country. Whether he's a hunter, whether he's a rancher -- it doesn't matter what he is. It's going to be a disaster for him economically, and also, people are going to be afraid to go into the forest," rancher Hugh McKeen told CNN.

The wolves get ready in Arizona
	893K/20 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

But environmentalist Craig Miller disagrees, saying it is important for people go "beyond the myth of three hundred years ago and Little Red Ridinghood." ( 119K/9 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Because livestock inevitably will be threatened, an environmental group working with the government promises to reimburse ranchers for any livestock they lose to wolves.

Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt also maintains that, despite the controversy, there is room in the wild for people and wolves. ( 136K/11 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Correspondent Greg LaMotte contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Judge says wolf reintroduction program is illegal - December 13, 1997
• Wolves' return to Yellowstone sparks controversy - November 12, 1997
• Wolves adjust to Yellowstone faster than expected - February 24, 1997
• Timber wolves return in packs to Wisconsin - March 3, 1996
• Wolves get help to make a comeback in the West - January 30, 1996

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service World Wide Web Site
• The Endangered Species Act
• National Park Service
  • Yellowstone National Park
    • The Total Yellowstone Page Wolf Report
• Defenders of Wildlife
  • Judge Finds Wolf Recovery Program Illegal - December 12, 1997
• National Wildlife Federation's Homepage
• The International Wolf Center

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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