Wild Sonora

Mexican grey wolf (©Robin Silver)Sept. 12, 2011

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been informed that Mexican authorities plan to release five Mexican wolves this month at an undisclosed ranch location in northeastern Sonora, Mexico.

While the department does not know the specific date or other details at this time, it has received indications that the wolves being released will be fitted with satellite tracking collars.

Game and Fish is currently considering what, if any, impacts this release might have on Arizona’s Mexican wolf conservation and stakeholders. The department will continue to monitor activities related to the planned release and inform constituents as information becomes available.

Arizona Game and Fish has been actively involved in the multi-partner effort reintroducing Mexican wolves to portions of their historical range in the east-central portion of the state for many years. In 1998, 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) in eastern Arizona. The current population was assessed to be around 50 animals during 2011 monitoring.

The Mexican wolf is considered endangered in the United States.

Rio Aros by Los Pavos AbajoIn early April 2011 a 2 person crew took 2 inflatable kayaks down part of the Rio Aros and Yaqui to do bird surveys on parts of the Northern Jaguar Reserve and nearby areas. The reserve encompasses 70 square miles of prime jaguar habitat just 125 miles south of the Arizona border. This area is the most remote and rugged wilderness left in northern Mexico.

The river was smaller than average for the time of year at around 130cfs (cubic feet per second). Once the summer mansoons start, the river swells drastically to many thousands of cfs... and the all the land moves from winter greys and browns to being entirely bathed in billiant green.

See the photo album here.

Ocelot in Huachucas: ©2011 - Tony Battiste, Portraits in NatureAfter half a century's absence of verifiable evidence, there is now a flurry of confirmed ocelots sightings in Arizona! In just over a year period 3 ocelots have surfaced - one road killed near Globe, one camera trap photo from Cochise County, and the last one in Feb. 2011 treed by dogs in the Huachuca Mountains. This latest image, in my opinion, appears to be an older individual and has probably been around for a while.

Perhaps there has been slow recovery of parts of the Sky Island region from better management and the cats have returned. The region was in bad shape in the late 1800's and through the early 1900's. Logging and cattle ranching had decimated wildlife habitat and hunters and trappers killed off most medium and large animals, especially predators like ocelots.

Perhaps global climate change has caused ocelots to move northward as javelina, coati-mundi, and other neo-tropical species have done, although historical records indicate their historical existence in the region.

Whatever the reason it is very exciting to live in such diverse and healthy region. Now we must continue to protect and restore the Sky Islands. Land and wildlife managers will hopefully take this news to heart and manage in ways to help recovery of ocelots, including opposing any new border walls that would block recovery in the region as a whole.

See a video of the encounter... it is a beautiful animal!