After years of struggling numbers, the Mount Graham red squirrel population is holding steady.
A new survey from state and federal wildlife agencies shows the number of squirrels in the Pinaleño Mountains of southeastern Arizona held at about 230 over the last two years.
After the Frye Fire of 2017, their population fell to just 35, which led to environmental groups petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand the protected habitats for the squirrels.
And in July, a federal judge gave U.S. Fish and Wildlife until next September to come up with a plan for protecting the endangered species.
For years, the Mount Graham red squirrels have struggled with habitat loss, insect infestations and competition with non-native species. The population peaked at about 550 in the late 1990s, according to the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
-
There’s been a sharp increase in canine parvo cases in Maricopa County and on tribal lands. According to the Arizona Humane Society, cases have quadrupled compared to this time last year. -
A new study that started at Northern Arizona University found the amount of salt in an environment significantly limits population growth for Earth’s largest herbivores. -
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says it's looking for ways to make hundreds of wildlife refuges and dozens of fish hatcheries more efficient. -
Arizona could soon have a state law to mandate the kind of advice your mother would give you: Wash your hands after petting farm animals. -
Conservationists say the plans for managing the declining species could push them closer to extinction.
