Wolves in Arizona

Arizona is home to the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf ("lobo”), the rarest subspecies of gray wolf in North America. Once found throughout portions of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Mexico, the Mexican gray wolf was wiped out in the U.S. by the late 1970s. As of March 2024, at least 257 Mexican gray wolves are living in the mountains of central Arizona and New Mexico.

Their path to recovery remains fragile due to critically low population sizes, genetic diversity concerns, poaching, and government-sponsored predator control for the livestock industry. Arizonans have the power to help save wolves both in our state and across the country. Wolves can’t speak or vote—but we can.

What's at Stake

Gray wolves at risk

Gray wolves now survive in small, fragmented populations, occupying only a fraction of their historic range. While the Endangered Species Act has shielded them from trophy hunting and trapping, these protections are under constant threat.

Legislative threats

The so-called Trust the Science Act (H.R. 764/S. 1895) has already passed the House and would permanently remove federal protections from gray wolves nationwide. Likewise, the Department of the Interior Appropriations Act (H.R. 8998) includes a rider to strip protections from gray wolves across the lower 48 states. Wolves in the Northern Rockies lost their protections in 2011 through a rider, leading to thousands of wolves being killed under extreme anti-wolf laws in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming—and the slaughter continues.

Executive threats

In 2021, the Trump Administration stripped federal protections from gray wolves outside the Northern Rockies. Just one month later, Wisconsin trophy hunters killed 218 wolves in under three days, far exceeding the planned quota. Though a federal judge restored these protections, the Biden administration is currently appealing the decision.

Mexican gray and red wolves

It’s not just gray wolves at risk. Lobos are facing similar legislative threats, while fewer than 20 wild red wolves remain in North Carolina, making them the most endangered wolves in the world.

Together, we can save wolves

Senator Cory Booker and Representative Raúl M. Grijalva introduced the Tribal Heritage and American Bison, Grizzly Bear, and Wolf Restoration and Coexistence Act. This legislation aims to secure permanent federal protections for these species and strengthen recovery efforts. We thank these leaders—and you—for raising your voice and taking action to protect wolves.

Elect to Protect

No matter where you live, your voice and your vote are essential to protecting wolves. Take action now—before it’s too late.

Your Elected Officals