There is an exciting new movement to restore Mexican grey wolves to the landscape in West Texas.
This initiative is being led by the Texas Lobo Coalition and the El Paso Zoo who are arguing that the ecosystem is unbalanced by the lack of natural predators, leading to disease in native ungulate populations and dominance of invasive species.
“The ecosystem in the Chihuahuan Desert (is) really messed up. We have a very unhealthy deer herd because wolves would help keep the prey species healthy by getting them to move around so they don’t get too close to each other and get diseases that can wipe them out. We have a very unhealthy, pronghorn herd in West Texas,” says Rick LoBello
An especially destructive example is the explosion of the wild boar population. This invasive species is a known problem in the area with huge environmental and economic impact.
LoBello and the TLC point out that a wolf presence in the area would bring these populations back to manageable levels, reduce the spread the of disease by removing sick and weak members of the herd, and change their behaviors to encourage healthy movement.
As with all things wolf related, there is significant controversy surrounding the issue, with many people raising concerns about possible conflict with livestock.
However, proponents of the restoration are working to educate all stakeholders on the benefits of having wolves around as well as the options of coexistence strategies.
The wolves’ ability to help with issues like the wild boar may even convince ranchers and other stakeholders to be allies of the reintroduction when they may have otherwise been set against it.
Conservationists in Arizona and New Mexico have been working for decades to bring the Mexican Grey Wolf back from the brink of extinction and restore this subspecies of the grey wolf to its historic range.
An expansion into Texas could be a huge development for the Mexican Grey Wolf Recovery Program.
References
https://www.borderreport.com/news/el-paso-advocates-aim-to-restore-mexican-gray-wolf-to-west-texas