Mexican gray wolf

mammal

Also known as: Canis lupus baileyi, Mexican wolf

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July 14, 2026

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The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is a subspecies of the North American gray wolf. It was once on the brink of extinction in the southwestern United States and Mexico due to diminished natural prey and increased cattle populations, which led wolves to prey on livestock. By the mid-20th century, they had largely disappeared from the U.S., and populations in Mexico were severely depleted. Joint conservation programs have helped revive the species, with at least 257 individuals counted in Arizona and New Mexico in 2023. The gray wolf species as a whole is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN.1

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Chihuahuan Desert
Flora and fauna
…Chihuahuan’s unique mammals is the Mexican gray wolf, a species native to the desert and one of the most endangered wolves in the world. Conservation efforts by wildlife organizations, as well as by the Mexican and U.S. governments, have aimed to restore its population in the region. Another notable mammal…
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…Chihuahuan’s unique mammals is the Mexican gray wolf, a species native to the desert and one of the most endangered wolves in the world. Conservation efforts by wildlife organizations, as well as by the Mexican and U.S. governments, have aimed to restore its population in the region. Another notable mammal…
Read More

gray wolf
Conservation status
…Park and Idaho, and captive-reared Mexican wolves (a subspecies) were released to their former range in eastern Arizona beginning in 1998. At the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 65,000–78,000 wolves inhabited North America. Canada had by far the largest population (although the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,…
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…Park and Idaho, and captive-reared Mexican wolves (a subspecies) were released to their former range in eastern Arizona beginning in 1998. At the beginning of the 21st century, an estimated 65,000–78,000 wolves inhabited North America. Canada had by far the largest population (although the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,…
Read More

What Are the Rarest Types of Wolves?
Mexican wolf
Like the red wolf, the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) stood on the brink of extinction in the southwestern United States and Mexico in the second half of the 20th century. As their natural prey of deer and elk diminished at the end of the 19th century and cattle populations…
Read More
Like the red wolf, the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) stood on the brink of extinction in the southwestern United States and Mexico in the second half of the 20th century. As their natural prey of deer and elk diminished at the end of the 19th century and cattle populations…
Read More