The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently rejected a petition submitted by conservation groups requesting to provide Endangered Species Act protections to coyotes that look like wolves.
The groups argued that Mexican gray wolves were being killed by people who said they thought they were killing a coyote. “Mistaken identity accounts for only a small portion of Mexican wolf mortalities,” said Brady McGee, USFWS Mexican wolf recovery coordinator.
“Listing coyotes under the Endangered Species Act would have a minimal impact on Mexican wolf recovery, while imposing an extreme burden on law enforcement, affecting their ability to protect the Mexican wolf in Arizona and New Mexico.”
