Reserve, New Mexico – May 21, 2025 — Catron County is facing a growing crisis as Mexican wolf encounters with both people and livestock continue to escalate, raising serious public safety concerns. From January through April 2025, Wildlife Services confirmed 56 Mexican wolf livestock kills in New Mexico, with an unofficial total listed as probable—representing over 10% of the total confirmed and probable depredations for the entirety of 2024.
“Livestock depredations alone are a crisis for Catron County,” said District 1 Commissioner Buster Green. “But what we also have is a public safety disaster. Just last month, my wife and I had to defend our home and family when we found our pet dog in our front yard. If we hadn’t been inside, it could have gone after my young daughters.”
District 3 Commissioner Audrey McQueen echoed the concern, stating: “On April 9, we held a County Commission meeting to hear direct testimony from residents. After hours of testimony, the overwhelming message was clear—we are not safe in our communities. These wolves are no longer afraid of people. The number and aggression of sightings in residential areas are increasing. We have verified images of wolves near homes, children waiting at bus stops, and ranchers fearing for their animals. These wolves—these levels of interactions— were not what we were promised.”
As of December 31, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated at least 281 Mexican wolves across New Mexico and Arizona, an increase of more than 20% from the previous year. 106 of those wolves are believed to be in New Mexico, with many in a 590square-mile area in the mountains currently located in Catron County.
“This is no longer a wildlife or ranching issue,” said District 1 Commissioner Hayden Howard. “Multiple reports of depredations and wolf sightings in public areas, including schools. The wolves the government is spending millions to release into our environment are causing real trauma and fear. This isn’t what reintroduction was supposed to look like. We need Governor Lujan Grisham to act now. If she won’t listen to us—maybe she’ll listen to families in this county.”
Catron County Sheriff Ike Fletcher said, “I’ve worked here my whole life. What I’m seeing today is unprecedented. It’s not just rural ranchers who feel unsafe. We’ve had wolves by schools, homes, and churches. We need help before this gets worse. This is no longer a science project. It’s a real-time safety threat. And it’s not just Catron. We know from colleagues in Cibola and Socorro counties that they’re experiencing the same thing. This is a statewide safety threat.”
In response to the situation, Catron County passed Resolution 56-2025 on April 8, formally declaring a public safety disaster due to the threat and damage caused by Mexican wolves. Other counties have followed suit:
• April 22 – Sierra County Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 2025-34 supporting Catron County’s declaration.
• April 24 – Cibola County passed Resolution 2025-33 supporting the same.
• May 13 – Socorro County issued its own declaration of a public safety disaster, Resolution 2025-36.
The resolutions assert that the conditions Catron County and Socorro County report constitute an ongoing regional emergency that demands immediate intergovernmental action. The declarations urge agencies—including the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Department of Game and Fish, the Department of Finance and Administration, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—to take decisive steps to mitigate further harm and restore balance in affected areas.
The counties are now awaiting action from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.