At 4:30 in the morning, Irma Macedo begins her preparations for a journey out of Mexico City. She is set to travel for approximately two hours to reach the Extinction Zero Sanctuary, located in the State of Mexico. Aiming to avoid the morning traffic, she plans to depart before six o’clock. Upon her arrival, she gathers with her team to assess the well-being of the animals and to organise the day’s tasks.
In a wooded area of the sanctuary, surrounded by lush trees and vegetation, reside eight Mexican wolves: a breeding pair and six of their offspring. This family roams a fenced section of the forest that spans about 4,700 square metres. Their fur, showcasing shades of grey, brown, and black, stands out amidst the foliage, complemented by their elongated snouts, erect ears, and amber-coloured eyes.
Leadership in Conservation Efforts
Since 2024, Macedo, who is a lawyer by profession, has been at the helm of Extinction Zero. Her involvement in the conservation of the Mexican wolf began over a decade ago, long before the sanctuary adopted its current name. Her efforts are part of a collaborative initiative between Mexico and the United States aimed at restoring the species to areas where it had previously vanished. “We are one of 24 institutions dedicated to the care of the Mexican wolf in the country,” she shares in an interview.
Currently, the U.S. government is proposing changes to the protective measures that have supported the wolf’s conservation. In early September, President Donald Trump ordered a review to determine whether the Mexican wolf and the grey wolf still meet the criteria for federal protections. This move is part of a strategy to support the U.S. livestock industry and has raised concerns among those, like Irma, who are committed to preserving a predator that came perilously close to extinction due to decades of persecution, largely driven by livestock conflicts.
A Day at the Sanctuary
The diet of the wolves at Extinction Zero includes kibble, pork, chicken, and occasionally trout. The sanctuary also breeds rabbits, which are incorporated into their diet. “We provide them with food that reminds them of what they might hunt in their natural habitat,” explains Macedo.
Don Toño, a man in his seventies wearing a hat and shirt, has hands that speak to years of hard work. Along with another Toño, who is around 40, they manage the daily care of the wolves with assistance from veterinarian Herbe Monroy. Irma’s sister, María José, oversees the administration, while Irma coordinates the sanctuary’s activities. “The truth is that we are very few,” she remarks. “We are the smallest in every aspect: resources, land, and age.”
Irma and María José typically visit the sanctuary once a week. Upon arrival, they meet with the Toños to discuss what transpired in the preceding days and what is needed going forward: “How is the water, how is the electricity, how did the animals appear, what happened?”
Extinction Zero is part of a binational programme involving around 60 institutions from Mexico and the United States. The sanctuary focuses on the care of the wolves, while decisions regarding their breeding and potential transfers are coordinated with specialists from both countries.
Maintaining Distance for Conservation
Despite years of working with the species, Irma strives to limit her proximity to the animals. She believes it is essential for people who have fewer opportunities to learn about them to observe them during visits. “Part of the binational programme is to keep the wolf as far from humans, dogs, and everything related to urbanisation as possible, essentially keeping them as wild as we can,” she elaborates.
However, maintaining their distance from public interaction poses a challenge: Irma wants visitors to connect with the species and become interested in its recovery. To facilitate this, various rescued wolf-dogs participate in educational activities at the sanctuary, which she refers to as their “ambassadors.”
Gandalf, with his grey and brown fur and lighter chest, possesses a sociable nature, allowing him to stroll with visitors, although he tends to be more gentle towards women, according to Irma. Sauber stands out with his bright amber eyes, framed by dark brown fur. In contrast, Nube is entirely white and more reserved. A French volunteer has been working to help her acclimatise to people. “Nube is now going out with him,” shares Macedo, expressing hopes that she will soon join visitor walks.
None of the wolf-dogs are part of the breeding programme; for Irma, they serve as intermediaries. “It is very challenging to raise awareness about a species and foster a connection if I say, ‘Look, I have a Mexican wolf, but don’t see it, don’t hear it; it should be over there and we over here,’” she adds. “To ensure the animal’s survival, we need to dispel the myth of the ferocious wolf.”
Historical Context of the Mexican Wolf
In pre-Hispanic Mexico, the cuetlachtli, as the wolf was known in Nahuatl, symbolised strength, power, war, and fire. Research conducted by specialists from UNAM has documented these meanings through historical sources, including the Florentine Codex, which describes the use of wolf pelts in ceremonies and their presence in the Totocalli, a space in the Mexica royal palace where various species were kept.
The Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is the smallest subspecies of the grey wolf, formerly inhabiting forests and grasslands across Mexico and the southwestern United States. Throughout the 20th century, conflicts with livestock prompted campaigns for its extermination. The relentless persecution and habitat loss drastically reduced its population, leading to its near extinction in the wild by the 1970s.
The National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) explains that as available territory shrank and natural prey diminished, some wolves began preying on nearby livestock. This led to intensified persecution. “It’s a predator; we cannot expect it to behave otherwise,” remarks Macedo, discussing a conflict that persists to this day.
Conservation Efforts and Challenges
To prevent their extinction, specialists from Mexico and the United States initiated captive breeding programmes for the last captured wolves. In 1982, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the first recovery plan for the species. The first wolves were reintroduced into the U.S. in 1998, while the first release in Mexico occurred in 2011.
All current Mexican wolves descend from only seven founders. The family residing at Extinction Zero is part of this legacy. To mitigate issues related to inbreeding, their genetic information is studied, and pairings between different institutions are coordinated. However, not all those born in captivity can return to the wild, as their behaviour and the suitability of their habitat must also be evaluated.
By mid-September 2026, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) reported that there were 107 Mexican wolves under professional care. In the wild, the population is significantly smaller: Macedo estimates that only 25 to 35 remain in Mexican territory, although there is no updated national count to specify how many live in their habitat.
In the United States, the official count from Arizona and New Mexico recorded at least 319 Mexican wolves in the wild by the end of 2025. Irma emphasises that increasing these populations is merely one facet of the work. “It is pointless to release 15 animals if they cannot breed with one another, if they lack food, if they do not have a suitable habitat, or if they do not have biological corridors to traverse.”
The Ecological Role of the Wolf
The return of the Mexican wolf has the potential to alter how other species interact with their environment. As an apex predator, it occupies one of the highest levels of the food chain, and its presence can affect not only the populations of other animals but also their behaviour. For instance, herbivores may spend extended periods grazing in the same area.
<p“If they graze and trample the same territory, they end up desertifying it,” explains Irma. The presence of the wolf can disrupt this routine, as the risk of being hunted prompts herbivores to move to different zones. The Conanp uses the example of the white-tailed deer to illustrate how this shift can impact the forest. When deer stop frequenting certain areas, the pressure on plants diminishes, allowing them the chance to recover. “By displacing herbivores, they give the land a chance to regenerate.”
The effects can extend to other species as well. Irma mentions smaller animals that find food and shelter among the vegetation, which may also be impacted when this diminishes. Thus, changes in herbivore behaviour can ripple through other relationships within the ecosystem. The effect does not occur uniformly across all forests; it depends on factors such as prey availability, vegetation health, and territorial conditions.
Protecting the Habitat
The return of the species also necessitates the safeguarding of the spaces where they can thrive. “Conserving the wolf is not just about conserving the animal, but also about conserving its habitat,” underscores Ir