Key facts
- President Donald Trump signed an executive order to remove endangered species protection for gray wolves.
- The order directs the Interior Department to consider delisting gray wolves and Mexican wolves.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has 90 days to determine if the wolf populations have recovered sufficiently.
- Environmental groups have criticized the move, citing risks to recovery efforts.
- Historically, wolves were subject to systematic extermination efforts in the U.S.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to remove endangered species protection for the grey wolf and its subspecies, the Mexican wolf. This decision could allow ranchers to kill the canines to protect livestock, with the order stating ranchers play a vital role in the food supply chain and American cultural heritage. Conservation groups, however, have criticized the move, warning it could jeopardize long-term recovery efforts for endangered wolf populations.
According to US Fish and Wildlife Service figures, there were 319 Mexican wolves in the wild in the US in 2025, an increase from just four in 1998 when they were reintroduced. The broader grey wolf population across the US is estimated at around 18,000, though they remain endangered due to habitat destruction. A previous federal attempt to delist gray wolves in 2022 became entangled in litigation, and campaigners have indicated they intend to challenge any new delisting actions.
The executive order requires Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine within 90 days whether the grey and Mexican wolf populations have recovered sufficiently to be removed from the endangered species list. The order also notes that US livestock herds are at a 75-year low while beef demand has risen, emphasizing the need to support the beef industry. Environmental groups countered that wolf attacks on livestock are rare and have minimal impact on ranchers' income, suggesting the move is a distraction to appease a small group of ranchers. They also pointed out that ranchers can receive full compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves under existing programs.
Historically, the U.S. government and landowners systematically worked to exterminate wolves, pushing them to the brink of eradication. Ranchers still perceive wolves as a threat to their livelihoods, and lethal action against them is a federal crime. The order comes as ranchers have expressed frustration with Trump's policies, including loosened restrictions on beef imports, which they argue put pressure on their profit margins.