Mexican wolves removed over cattle deaths

A pair of Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyii) are undergoing testing to see if they are responsible for a string of livestock deaths in southwestern New Mexico. The two female wolves were captured in the Gila National Forest, where nearby ranchers have reported a dozen instances of cattle deaths over a four month period, the Associated Press reports. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued an order for a third wolf to be removed. The order allows the use of lethal force, but “we will use that as a very last resort,” Brady McGee, coordinator of the Mexican wolf recovery program, told the AP.

Read more from the Associated Press here.