MEXICAN WOLVES

Fostering the Recovery of Mexican Wolves

With only about 350 Mexican wolves in captivity and approximately 186 in the wild, LightHawk plays a crucial role in the survival of this critically endangered species. As the smallest gray wolf subspecies in North America and one of the rarest and most endangered mammals on the continent, Mexican wolves inhabit the deserts and mountainous woodlands of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Central Mexico.

LightHawk plays a pivotal role in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program for our partners, contributing to the success of cross-fostering as a technique to bolster the Mexican gray wolf population. Our swift and time-critical aerial transport of one-to-two-week-old wolf pups from breeding facilities to Arizona or New Mexico is essential for their placement in the dens of wild, nursing female wolves. This entire process, from pup selection to den insertion, must be executed within a single day.