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Mexican Wolf

Mexican Wolf line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Mexican Wolf full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Mexican Wolf was completed on 4.14.11. I had considered drawing one of these beautiful wolves for some time, and would like to one day have all species of extant wolves illustrated. I resisted, because I try and stick to drawing animals one might encounter in the wild. I was sad to learn that this species is extinct in the wild and the only living animals known are in zoos, on preserves or private collections. The drawing is based on a photo by Josh More, taken at the enclosure at the Minnesota Zoo.

Information about the Mexican Wolf:

The Mexican Wolf is a sub-species of the Gray or Timber Wolf. It was native to the regions of Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts from central Mexico to western Texas, southern New Mexico, and central Arizona. But due to a steep decline in the larger prey animals such as deer and elk, the wolf began to attack and kill domestic animals, which then led to the animal being hunted by government agencies and private citizens, until the population was eradicated in the wild. Today, there are only a few hundred alive on the planet, and these are either in zoos or preserves. There are efforts to save the species being made at various facilities in Mexico and The US. For more info please visit the California Wolf Center website.