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Mexican Wolf Captive ManagementSpecies Survival Plan Captive FacilitiesThe Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) captive management program is an essential component of Mexican wolf recovery. The SSP was initiated in 1977 to 1980 with the capture of the last remaining Mexican wolves in the wild in Mexico. The SSP is a binational captive breeding program between the U.S. and Mexico whose primary purpose is to raise wolves for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for reintroduction purposes. Specifically, the purpose of the SSP is to re-establish the Mexican wolf in the wild through captive breeding, public education, and research. This captive population is the sole source of Mexican wolves available to re-establish the species in the wild and is imperative to the success of the Blue Range Mexican wolf reintroduction project and any additional potential reintroduction areas that may be identified in the future. The SSP has steadily expanded throughout the years and currently houses approximately 300 Mexican wolves in 49 facilities in the United States and Mexico. Mexican wolves are routinely transferred among the zoos and other SSP holding facilities in order to facilitate genetic exchange, thus maintaining the health and genetic diversity of the captive population. The SSP maintains the goal of housing a minimum of 240 wolves in captivity at all times to ensure the security of the species in captivity, while still being able to produce surplus animals for reintroduction. Mexican wolves from captive SSP facilities that are subsequently identified for potential release are first sent to one of three pre-release facilities (see below) to be evaluated for release suitability and to undergo an acclimation process. All wolves selected for release are genetically redundant to the captive population, meaning their genes are already well represented. This minimizes any adverse effects on the genetic integrity of the remaining captive population, in the event wolves released to the wild do not survive. Pre-release Captive FacilitiesMexican wolves are acclimated prior to release to the wild in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved facilities designed to house wolves in a manner that fosters wild characteristics and behaviors. These include the Sevilleta and Ladder Ranch Wolf Management Facilities, both of which are located in New Mexico near the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area, and Wolf Haven International, located in Tenino, Washington. Wolves at these facilities are managed in a manner that minimizes human contact in order to promote avoidance behavior, and to maximize pair bonding, breeding, pup rearing, and healthy pack structure development. They are then evaluated and selected for release to the wild based on their genetic makeup, reproductive performance, behavior, physical suitability, and their overall response to the adaptation process. The Sevilleta and Ladder facilities have proved very successful in breeding wolves for release purposes, and continue to be an integral part of Mexican wolf recovery efforts. SSP Captive FacilitiesUnited StatesAlameda Park Zoo Albuquerque Biological Park Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Binder Park Zoo California Wolf Center Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park Chicago Zoological Park Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Dakota Zoo El Paso Zoo Fort Worth Zoological Park Fossil Rim Wildlife Center Heritage Park Zoo Hillcrest Park Zoo Houston Zoo Living Desert State Park Minnesota Zoological Garden Navajo Nation Zoological and Botanical Park Oklahoma Zoo Phoenix Zoo Sedgwick County Zoo Smithsonian National Zoological Park Southwest Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Foundation The Living Desert Utica Zoo Walter D Stone Memorial Zoo Wild Canid Survival and Research Center Wildlife Science Center Wildlife West Nature Park Wolf Conservation Center MexicoAfrican Safari Centro Ecologico de Sonora Chapultepec Zoological Park Guadalajara Zoo La Michilia Bio Reserve Inst de Ecolog Pargue Zoological de San Juan de Aragon Parque Zoological de Leon Pargue Zoologica del Pueblo Parque Zoologico la Pastoria Rancho "Los Encinos" Rancho La Mesa/Org Vida Silvestre AC San Cayetano Wildlife Facility Zooligico de Tamatan Zoologica de Zacango Zoological de Los Coyotes Pre-release Captive FacilitiesLadder Ranch Wolf Management Facility Sevilleta Wolf Management Facility Wolf Haven International
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This webpage was last modified on: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 |
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