Sunday, September 23, 2007

Gila National Forest: New Gila Wolf Expeditions Offered

N.M. agency offering up-close views on endangered wolf program




By Matt Mygatt
Associated Press Writer
Aspen, CO Colorado
September 21, 2007



ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is offering a real-life spin on the old Little Red Riding Hood yarn.

Traipsing through the woods. Not to grandmother’s house, but to the wolf’s house.

On Sunday, a teacher and three ninth-grade students are to meet up with the agency’s Mexican gray wolf biologist, Ellen Heilhecker, at Apache Creek in the Gila National Forest in southwestern New Mexico.

Heilhecker will be leading her charges to a wolf den and will show them how she tracks the endangered animals.

“We’re probably not going to see any wolves. It’s not like they make themselves really obvious. But if we do, that’s just going to be sheer luck on the participants’ part,” she said.

They’re participating in the department’s gaining access into nature program which, for the first time, is featuring three wolf monitoring expeditions. The other two are scheduled Oct. 13 and 20.

The treks are limited to four people each, randomly selected by a computer, said Marty Frentzel, a department spokesman.

For Sunday’s trip, there were 59 applications bearing the names of 88 people, he said.

See more at this link: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20070921/NEWS/70921004

Link to NM Dept of Game and Fish http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/

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