The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners have announced a reward of up to $37,000 for information regarding the deaths of two critically endangered Mexican gray wolves in Arizona.

Wildlife officials found the dead wolves in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest on March 22 and 23, 2020.

If anyone saw a vehicle that was stopped or driving slowly off the Porter Mountain Road in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest or has any information that could be helpful in finding the person(s) responsible for the deaths of these wolves, please contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 1-800-352-0700, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477). Persons reporting information may remain anonymous.

At last count, there are an estimated 163 Mexican gray wolves living in Arizona and New Mexico.

Background:

Mexican gray wolves are the most genetically distinct lineage of gray 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.