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Camera Traps Capture First Wild-Born Mexican Wolf in Chihuahua Reserve

The sighting at Campo Verde underscores the success of the binational recovery program by confirming reproduction in the wild.

Ejemplar de lobo mexicano (Canis lupus baileyi) registrado por una cámara trampa en el Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Campo Verde, Chihuahua. La imagen muestra un lobo joven en su entorno natural, lo que confirma su nacimiento en libertad como parte del éxito del programa de reintroducción.
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Overview

  • A community monitor’s camera trap videos in the Campo Verde reserve led experts in July 2025 to confirm that a GPS-collar-free Mexican wolf had been born in the wild for the first time.
  • This record validates self-sustaining wolf litters in Chihuahua since 2014, signaling stable wild populations for the first time in over fifty years.
  • According to the 2024 binational census, the wild Mexican wolf population numbers at least 257 in the U.S. Southwest and between 45 and 50 in Mexico.
  • The binational recovery program launched in 1997 has expanded from seven founder wolves to over 200 captive individuals and facilitated targeted releases into protected areas.
  • Mexican authorities upgraded the wolf’s status to endangered under NOM-059, acknowledging improved population viability backed by habitat corridors and rancher compensation programs.