Trump signs order to remove endangered species protection for grey wolves

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to strip endangered species protection from the grey wolf and its subspecies, the Mexican wolf. The decision could allow pastoral farmers to legally kill the canines to safeguard their livestock. The order asserts that ranchers play a vital role in the food supply chain and American cultural heritage.

However, conservation groups have criticized the move, arguing it could hinder long-term efforts to recover wolf populations. In 2025, there were 319 Mexican wolves in the US, up from just four when reintroduction began in 1998, according to US Fish and Wildlife Service figures. Roughly 18,000 grey wolves exist across the US, though they remain endangered due to habitat loss from human activities.

An attempt to delist them at the federal level in 2022 was delayed in litigation, and some activists plan to challenge the Department of Interior's actions on Trump's order. The executive order does not immediately permit ranchers to shoot wolves attacking livestock; instead, it grants Interior Secretary Doug Burgum 90 days to assess whether the populations have recovered enough to warrant removal from the endangered species list.

The order acknowledges that US livestock herds are at a 75-year low while beef demand has risen by 10% in the last decade, stating, "More can and should be done to support this critical industry." Environmental groups point to studies suggesting wolf attacks on livestock are rare and have little effect on ranchers' income. The Wolf Conservation Center notes that ranchers are entitled to up to 100% compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves, with individual states funding programs to deter attacks.

The Mexican grey wolf's recovery is not merely dependent on population growth, according to Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. Weakening federal protections now would jeopardize decades of recovery work. The executive order follows the Trump administration's efforts to lower record-high beef prices for consumers, driven by drought and parasites in US beef stocks.

Ranchers have criticized Trump's decision to relax restrictions on beef imports, putting strain on their already tight margins. The US government pursued a systematic extermination campaign against wolves in the late 19th century, compounded by ranchers and landowners trapping and killing wolves, nearly driving them to extinction.

Modern ranchers still view wolves as a nuisance, with lethal extermination constituting a federal crime.