Two critically endangered captive Mexican gray wolves (companions  F749 “Mama” and M1198 “Alleno”) are cautiously curious upon discovering an iPhone.

The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. In 1998 eleven wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act.  At last count earlier this year, only 110 lobos remained in the wild.

The Wolf Conservation Center is an environmental education organization committed to conserving wolf populations in North America through science-based education programming and participation in the federal Species Survival Plans for the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf and red wolf. Through wolves the WCC teaches the broader message of conservation, ecological balance, and personal responsibility for improved human stewardship of our World. 

For more information about wolves and the Wolf Conservation Center‘s participation in wolf recovery,  you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too.