"Lawsuit Filed Against U.S. Over Protections for Rare Wolf"

"A coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Thursday against U.S. wildlife officials arguing that the government's management plan for the endangered Mexican gray wolf, one of the most imperiled mammals in North America, does not go far enough.

The Western Environmental Law Center filed the suit on behalf of several organizations in a federal Arizona court, alleging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's plans for the wolves violate the Endangered Species Act and other laws.

At issue is a final rule published in January that, while allowing more territory for the wolves to roam, also capped their population and provided more leeway to state wildlife agencies and others to kill the wolves to protect livestock as well as deer and elk herds prized by hunters."

Curtis Skinner and Laura Zuckerman report for Reuters July 2, 2015.