Representatives from dozens of facilities participating in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (MWSSP) are heading south of the border!  Although the trip might involve a bit of sightseeing, the destination is Centro Ecológico del Estado de Sonora (CEES) in Hermosillo, Sonora (MEXICO) for the MWSSP Annual Meeting to tackle the all issues associated with conserving the lobo. This meeting is bringing together Fish and Wildlife Agencies from both US and Mexico, endangered species reproductive specialists, and many other organization representatives including Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) curator Rebecca Bose. The bulk of the meeting will begin Thursday but Rebecca, as a member of the Mexican Wolf Management Group, will get right down to business just a couple of hours after crossing the border later this evening to discuss all important matters concerning the 300 captive Mexican gray wolves that call the U.S. and Mexico home.  Other items on the meeting agenda include:

• Report on the status of Mexican wolf recovery in both Mexico and the U.S.
• Report on the Mexican wolf SSP and the status of the global captive studbook population
• Report on reproductive research in 2013 and needs for 2014
• Criteria for selection of breeding pairs
• Gamete banking plan and criteria for selection of candidates
• Select pairs for breeding in 2014
• Select semen and oocyte collection candidates for 2014
• Select candidates for release in 2014

We’re looking forward to hearing Rebecca’s reports from the meeting so we can update you on all aspects of the program including how to best recover a sustainable population in the wild. Stay tuned!