pDear Members and Supporters:/p
pLast week, we shared with you an urgent message from Wendy Keefover, Carnivore Protection Director for WildEarth Guardians. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a kill order against the matriarch of the Fox Mountain Mexican wolf family (which has five young wolves).The matriarch wolf was implicated in killing farm animals kept by ranchers just near the wolf den in the Apache National Forest in New Mexico. WildEarth Guardians sent out a new release today, and we back their call for action. strong Please read on, and act./strong/p
p strongThe matriarch wolf’s new fate? Captivity.The mother wolf will be subject to a protocol of testing and training on “taste aversion”–presumably meant to condition the wolves from eating meat that would be normal for a wolf to eat if the animal is on the wolves’ land./strong /p
pThe mate and pups will lose their family member for no good reason. And the federal government cannot claim to bring Mexican wolves back into recovery if they are chasing them down and removing them from their rightful habitat. /p
pPlease call the White House, New Mexico Senators Udall and Bingaman, and New Mexico Congressional Representatives Luján and Heinrich now to let the Fox Mountain mother wolf stay free, and demand that ranchers not be allowed to hold their cattle near the den area. strong The Fox Mountain pups need their mother to thrive in the Apache National Forest lands./strong/p
pRead on for the numbers…./p
pWhite House: 202.456.1111 The U.S. president’s Twitter account is @BarackObamabr /
Office of Senator Tom Udall: 202.224.6621br /
Senator Jeff Bingaman: 202.224.5521 or 1.800.443.8658br /
Office of Congress Member Ben Ray Luján: 202.225.6190br /
Office of Congress Member Martin Heinrich: 202.225.6316/p
pYou might also note in your communications: /p
p• There are fewer than 60 Mexican wolves in nature. This population has none to spare./p
p• Biologists believe removing this wolf could doom the pups as well. Research also shows that wolves suffer trauma when their pack mates are killed. /p
p• The affected rancher has been paid for the monetary losses. There is no need to spend still more money appeasing ranchers who should stop imposing themselves on wolf habitat./p
pThank you so much for stepping in for the freedom of the wolves to live on their own terms./p