Wildlife officials in Arizona and New Mexico announced yesterday that the endangered Mexican gray wolf population increased by 33 animals, rising from 286 in 2024 to 319 in 2025.

“It’s inspiring that there are now hundreds of Mexican wolves in the Southwest, especially considering there were zero roaming the wild just three decades ago,” said Michael Robinson, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I used to fear they’d all get wiped out by a major wildfire or a spate of illegal killings, but now I’m confident they won’t disappear in my lifetime. The big danger is that politics will strip these still-imperiled wolves of their Endangered Species Act protections before they’re truly recovered.”

While the population growth is being celebrated, conservationists warn that the species remains genetically fragile. Federal and state wolf killings tied to livestock conflicts continue to reduce the limited genetic legacy of just seven wolves that were spared from eradication decades ago. Last year alone, three genetically valuable wolves were killed, including a nursing mother and two young pups from separate packs. Today, the wild population retains less than one-third of the original genetic diversity from those seven wolves.

“We are heartened that the population of Mexican wolves has grown this past year, though it is still very small,” said Mary Katherine Ray, wildlife chair for the Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club. “Importantly, it isn’t just a numbers game. The wildlife agencies must do more to improve the genetic health of the population which is going down even as their numbers go up.”

Advocates also point to inbreeding concerns, citing insufficient efforts to move genetic diversity from captive wolves into the wild population. The captive population currently holds 37% more genetic diversity than their wild counterparts.

Experts have long recommended releasing bonded male and female pairs from captivity along with their pups, the method used when reestablishing the population. Sixty-seven percent of adult pairs released as family groups survived and successfully raised additional wild-born pups. In contrast, the cross-fostering practice began in 2016, which involves placing captive-born pups into wild dens without their parents, which has resulted in 79% of those pups disappearing.

“An increase in wolf numbers is encouraging, but headcounts alone do not mean recovery,” said Michelle Lute, Ph.D., executive director of Wildlife for All. “Mexican gray wolves remain genetically imperiled, and human-caused mortality continues to undermine their future. Until agencies prioritize strict protections and release bonded family groups to strengthen the gene pool, these wolves will remain vulnerable.”

“True recovery is not achieved the moment a population number is met; it’s achieved when wolves are genuinely welcomed back into the ecological and cultural fabric of the Southwest,” said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. “Wolves should be considered equal stakeholders in their own recovery. That means protecting them, restoring their genetic health, and funding proactive, preventative practices that allow communities and wolves to thrive together.”

“Despite the adversity facing the species, not to mention the threat of federal abandonment, the Mexican gray wolf continues to pace toward recovery,” said Craig Miller, senior representative at Defenders of Wildlife. “Today, the threats are very real, and stripping Endangered Species Act protections now would mean dead wolves and a derailed recovery. Recent hard-won population gains should be celebrated, not twisted into a justification for premature delisting that jeopardizes the Mexican gray wolf’s survival.”

“As the fragile Mexican wolf population continues to grow, I am hopeful that humans will make choices that further the recovery of this iconic species,” said Sally Paez, staff attorney for New Mexico Wild. “In addition to wolf management based on science, we must fight for policies that prioritize healthy forests and ecosystems, habitat connectivity and functioning watersheds to allow wolves to survive and thrive.”

“As with any endangered species, especially one that was totally eradicated from the wild just a few decades ago, an increase in population is worth celebrating,” said Leia Barnett, New Mexico conservation lead for WildEarth Guardians. “But 319 wolves does not guarantee a healthy, thriving population. We hope the agencies will do more to address the political, geographic, and genetic barriers that continue to hinder, and in some cases threaten, actual scientific recovery of this imperiled, iconic species.”