Mexican Grey Wolf/Grey Wolf

Straw with animal scents (rabbit, red-tailed hawk, coyote, red fox), animal urine (doe), elk calls, and rabbit fur.

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Carnivora
• Family: Canidae
• Genus: Canis lupus
• Species: Canis lupus baileyi

Mountain forests, grasslands, and scrublands of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico

Only in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico

Endangered

In the wild: 6 to 8 years

In human care: Up to 15 years

In the wild: Elk, white-tailed deer, mule deer, javelinas, rabbits, ground squirrels and mice

At the Zoo: Exotic canine chow and whole prey items

Kizzy and Sydney can be found in the rear of the Forgotten Forest, where they can be viewed from inside the log cabin or from the open-air patio. Have a howling good time watching these magnificent, endangered wolves frolic, slumber, and interact with one another!

Known as El lobo, the Mexican wolf is the smallest, rarest, and most genetically distinct subspecies of the gray wolf. Once on the brink of extinction, these resilient animals are now making a slow but steady comeback, thanks to the work of conservationists, government agencies, and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums like ours.

You can meet our resident wolves, Kizzie and Sydney, right here at the Zoo. Though they were born under human care, they serve as powerful ambassadors for a species that is howling its way back from the edge.

A Wolf Apart

Mexican wolves are smaller than their northern cousins, typically weighing between 50 and 90 pounds. With coats of gray, light brown, and cream, they blend beautifully into the rocky canyons, pine forests, and desert scrublands of the American Southwest.

Like all wolves, they live in tight-knit family units and rely on strong social bonds to hunt, raise young, and survive. In the wild, they feed on:

• Deer
• Javelinas (wild pigs)
• Rabbits
• Rodents
• Elk

At the zoo, we mimic this natural diet with exotic canine chow and whole prey items, while strictly following the guidelines of their Species Survival Plan (SSP).

Not Your Average Zoo Wolves

Kizzie and Sydney are part of the Mexican Wolf SSP, a collaborative recovery program led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with AZA institutions and government agencies in both the U.S. and Mexico—including SEMARNAT (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales), Mexico’s national environmental authority.

Our zoo serves as a non-breeding, holding facility within this program. That means Kizzie and Sydney are not currently part of active breeding efforts, but they may still support future pack members—by providing social structure, helping raise pups, or preparing for possible reintroduction to the wild.

To preserve their wild instincts, we follow strict, SSP-approved guidelines:

• No domestic food sources—they’re never fed products made from farm animals.
• No man-made toys or dog items—enrichment must mimic wild experiences.
• Minimal human interaction—we maintain a neutral or even negative relationship.
• Naturalistic care—quiet habitats, animal scents, logs, bones, and foraging challenges.

Every aspect of their care is designed to prepare them—or future packmates—for life beyond zoo walls.

Fast Facts: Mexican Wolf

• Range: Parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
• Weight: 50–90 lbs.
• Habitat: Mountain forests, scrublands, and grasslands.
• Diet: Elk, deer, javelinas, rabbits, and rodents.
• Lifespan: 6–8 years in the wild; up to 15 in human care.