4 more Mexican gray wolves set free in eastern Arizona

Wildlife biologists released four more rare Mexican gray wolves into the wilds of eastern Arizona yesterday and outlined plans to increase their ranks.

By the end of the year there could be 14 adults and three yearlings in the Apache National Forest, if all survive. In addition, six pairs could have cubs in the wilderness this year.

Next month, at least one pair now in captivity is expected to be set free without any acclimation period in Arizona's Blue Range Primitive Area near the New Mexico border, marking the reintroduction effort's first ``hard release.''

Since the effort began last March, all releases have been dubbed ``soft releases'' because they were preceded by periods of up to two months in acclimation pens at or near release sites.

Dave Parsons, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Albuquerque office, said the planned hard release involves putting wolves in crates and strapping them to pack animals for a trip of about three miles into the roadless primitive area. The area's north end is about 11 miles south of Alpine. Its southern border is about 25 miles north of Clifton.

A family consisting of an adult pair and two cubs was fitted with fluorescent radio collars and freed from a pen about 16 miles north of Clifton yesterday morning.

``These wolves were fairly anxious to run free,'' Parsons said. ``One of the wolves was out before the biologist could even retreat from the pen.''

The national wolf reintroduction campaign, which started about two decades ago with four wolves, now includes about 180 in captivity and has thus far cost about $1.6 million, Parsons said.

Releases began last March when 11 wolves were set free from pens in the national forest near Alpine. By the end of the year, five had been shot and five were recaptured with plans to re-release them. The last is missing and presumed dead.

Rewards totaling more than $50,000 are offered for information leading to those responsible for the shootings.

Two of the recaptured wolves, adult males, were released again in December with new mates. While one pair is sticking together and thriving in the wilderness, the other had trouble bonding. The two were recaptured in January and placed in an acclimation pen ``in an effort to firm up that pair bond between them,'' Parsons said. They are expected to be released from the pen, about seven miles south of Alpine, this spring.

The four released yesterday, along with a family of five, were placed in acclimation pens in January.

Tomorrow, biologists will move three wolves from that family of five to a new type of pen made of a coated nylon mesh interlaced with electricity-carrying string.

Previously, officials relied on chain-link fence pens covering about one-third of an acre. The lighter and smaller pens, covering a quarter of an acre, may be set up in more remote locations.

This year, Parsons said, the Fish and Wildlife Service, along with Game and Fish departments in Arizona and New Mexico, intend to conduct releases farther away from residential areas and step up law enforcement and monitoring procedures.