Look at that adorable Mexican wolf pup smile!

Mexican wolf pup runt of the litter m1506 (Duffy) is all smiles while sharing a cuddle with his soft and huggy sister f1508 (K.B.).

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 the wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act. Today in the U.S., there is a single wild population comprising only 97 individuals- and they need your help.

All of the Mexican gray wolves alive today are descended from just 7 founders of a captive breeding program, and years of delaying needed releases of wolves from captivity have caused a genetic crisis. This genetic loss is causing the wolves to have smaller litters and lowering pup survival. Eventually, if not corrected, it will lead to extinction.

URGENT: Please urge Secretary Jewell to have USFWS redouble its efforts and release more Mexican wolves to the wild.