President Trump has ordered a 90-day review to determine if grey and Mexican wolves should be removed from the endangered species list to support the livestock industry.
Key facts
- •The order gives Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 90 days to evaluate the recovery status of grey and Mexican wolves.
- •US Fish and Wildlife Service data shows the Mexican wolf population reached 319 in 2025, up from four in 1998.
- •There are approximately 18,000 grey wolves currently in the United States.
- •Ranchers are currently eligible for up to 100% compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves through state-funded programs.
- •A previous federal attempt to de-list the wolves in 2022 was stalled by litigation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order initiating a review of the endangered species status for grey wolves and the subspecies known as the Mexican wolf. The order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine within 90 days if these populations have recovered sufficiently to be removed from federal protections. The administration stated the move aims to support ranchers, whom the order describes as playing a vital role in the food supply chain.
By the numbers
Context of the executive order
The executive order cites concerns regarding the US livestock industry, noting that herds are at a 75-year low while beef demand has increased by 10% over the last decade. The administration is currently seeking methods to lower record-high beef prices, which have been influenced by drought and parasite outbreaks in cattle stocks. While the order does not immediately permit the killing of wolves, it aims to address the concerns of ranchers who view the animals as a nuisance and face federal criminal penalties for lethal intervention.
Conservation and industry response
Conservation groups have criticized the order, arguing that it could jeopardize decades of recovery efforts. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Mexican wolf population grew from four individuals in 1998 to 319 in 2025. Environmental advocates, including the Western Watersheds Project and the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project, contend that wolf attacks on livestock are rare and that existing programs already provide up to 100% compensation to ranchers for losses. Some campaigners have indicated they may pursue litigation if the Department of the Interior moves to de-list the species.
Timeline
- Late 19th CenturyThe US government launched a campaign to systematically exterminate wolves.
- 1998Mexican wolves were reintroduced to the wild.
- 2022A federal attempt to de-list wolves became tied up in litigation.
- 2025The Mexican wolf population reached 319 individuals.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Science & Environment.
