Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are offering up to $10,000 for information about the shooting death of a Mexican gray wolf.
That brings the total number of wolf shooting cases under investigation in Eastern Arizona and Western New Mexico to 11.
A 2-year-old male wolf that had recently paired up with a female was found dead March 9, near the Green Peaks area of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, said Victoria Fox of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Albuquerque.
The Center for Biological Diversity is offering an additional $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in any of the 11 cases.
The wolf had been trapped on the San Carlos Reservation in January and relocated to an area near the town of Vernon, 20 miles east of Show Low and about 200 miles northeast of Tucson. Two other wolves have been shot and killed there, said Michael Robinson, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity in Piņos Altos, N.M.
"This wolf was captured from an area that was much safer and relocated to a more vulnerable place where there is much greater road access," Robinson said.
Fox said the wolf was trapped inadvertently, and was relocated near a lone female. The two became just the third natural pairing since the wolves were reintroduced five years ago, said Craig Miller, Southwest director for Defenders of Wildlife.
"What's really tragic about this is neither the male nor its mate had ever been involved in livestock predation, and those are the kind of wolves you most want reproducing and passing on natural wolf behavior," Miller said.
Individuals with information they believe may be helpful in solving these crimes should call the Arizona Department of Game and Fish Operation Game Thief at 1-800-352-0700.
Contact reporter Thomas Stauffer at 573-4197 or at stauffer@azstarnet.com.
