The barely-hanging-on Mexican Wolves(a struggling 50 souls) are in the crosshairs of Catron, New Mexico County Wolf investigator Jess Carey and County Commissioner Glyn Griffin................Talk about HATE ZEALOTS , FABRICATORS and MUD SLINGERS of the highest order.......These Wolves are the devil-incarnate according to these men............I think that we have to call in our Navy SEAL TEAM 6 to root out the Jihad that is being raged against Wolves across the Rocky Mtn States

Living with Mexican wolves and the liberal pressBy Glyn Griffin

 In writing, "Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf," your columnist does not seem to have researched any of the documented damage caused by Mexican wolves. It appears his biased article came directly from his personal agenda, rather than the facts. I felt it necessary to provide documented facts concerning the Mexican wolf.

Catron County has been documenting wolf-human, wolf-animal interactions since April 2006. This year alone, there have been 16 documented confirmed wolf-livestock depredations, 1 probable depredation, and 4 confirmed injuries. However, your columnist conveniently omits any mention of this serious problem for local family ranchers. Since 2006 to the present, there have been 140 wolf-human incidents and 240 wolf-animal incidents, for a total of 380 incidents. Fifty percent of wolf interactions were on private property, indicating Mexican wolves are highly habituated and lack an avoidance response to humans, thereby posing a major threat. Habituated wolves seek out humans and human use areas. They are bold and come to homes where children play. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supplementally feeds the wolves all the time, including right now, causing the wolves to become further habituated by food conditioning.

Bus stop shelters were built with donated materials to protect school children after two children were followed home by wolves after they got off the school bus. Wolves were also documented at the elementary school by the swing set. County Sheriff Shawn Menges had deputies on guard during recess while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service John Oakleaf tried to trap the un-collared wolf. Catron County should be commended for taking a proactive stance to mitigate wolf-child interaction. Wolves do not have to bite a child to cause damage. Psychological trauma, "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" has been documented in our children from wolf interactions at homes. Wolves attacking and killing family pets in front of children is horrific and unacceptable.

Wolves were documented 23 times at one home where a 14-year-old child lived. How many times would you tolerate a dangerous and threatening predator lurking near your home? I read that when a mountain lion recently moved into El Paso, a nearby school was placed on lockdown, and the animal was immediately shot and killed. Why are residents of Catron County expected to tolerate such danger when no one else will? The Catron County Commission will not allow our children to be collateral damage in this project. Think about your children: you expect and demand 100 percent protection for your children where you live, yet the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken a position to allow habituated wolves near our homes, putting our children in harm's way.

A comparability study of wolves denning in calf/yearling core areas show that five family ranchers lost 653 more head of cattle than before the wolf was introduced, with a monetary loss of $381,198. Two of the five family ranchers went out of business and had to sell off their ranches. One ranch did not re-stock their ranch in 2010 due to wolf depredation losses. Compensation to family ranchers has been virtually nonexistent and does not reflect the actual losses; there has been no compensation to Catron County government for reduced tax revenues and lost jobs. Wolf-caused chronic stress in cattle is produced when wolves are killing in a herd. The effects are decreased pregnancy rates-open cows, pre-mature birthed calves, abortion of calves, weak calves, loss of body condition, weight loss, immune suppression, increased susceptibility to disease. These losses are beyond compensation standards and are ignored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but attribute to major financial losses to family ranchers.

Many of those making our decisions and affecting public opinion have the luxury of living outside of wolf country. Your columnist seems to think that since no children have been attacked or killed, there is no threat. I hope the above information will help people understand the terror we live in. I hope, above all, that our voices will be heard before it is too late to prevent such a horrible outcome.

Glyn Griffin is a Catron County commissioner. Jess Carey is a Catron County wolf investigator.