内容摘要：Associated Press videojournalist Martín Silva Rey contributed to this report from Cuauhtemoc, Mexico.

Associated Press videojournalist Martín Silva Rey contributed to this report from Cuauhtemoc, Mexico.

County commissioners issued a warning to residents last week to be aware of their surroundings when outdoors and maintain constant supervision of children and pets.The concerns stretch beyond New Mexico, as officials in parts of Oregon and Northern California say gray wolves — the larger, more common cousins of Mexican gray wolves — seem brazen and are killing more livestock. Two California counties declared emergencies in recent weeks and the sheriff in another requested help from state wildlife officials.

Ranchers in New Mexico and Arizona have been at odds with the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves since the first release in the late 1990s. Despite limited programs for reimbursing certain losses, ranchers say wolves pose a threat to their way of life, which is already challenged by prolonged drought and rising prices.Environmentalists argue that Mexican wolves should have a place in the Southwest, often criticizing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for not releasing more captive wolves to ensure genetic diversity among the wild population. They contend there’s no incident in recorded history of a Mexican wolf attacking or injuring a person.While fatal attacks are rare in North America, Catron County Sheriff Keith Hughes said there’s danger in not removing Mexican wolves that frequent developed areas. He said one was spotted Wednesday in the community of Reserve.

There are at least 286 Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico, but federal officials acknowledged Thursday that they don’t know how many actually are on the landscape. They also say livestock kills are decreasing, with 100 confirmed in 2024. Ranchers argue that for every confirmed kill, there are likely five more where investigators don’t have enough evidence left to add them to the list or the animals are never found.Wildlife managers conducted 290 successful hazing operations last year to scare wolves away from rural homes and livestock, and the Fish and Wildlife Service reiterated its commitment Thursday to minimizing conflicts and reducing the economic effects on ranchers.

In the resolution, Catron County states the culture and customs of residents have been compromised by the reintroduction of Mexican wolves. It requests emergency financial aid from the state and asks the governor to order the New Mexico National Guard into service to support county authorities as needed.

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office has not returned messages from The Associated Press on whether she supports the declaration.Other transplant experts are closely watching how the patient fares.

“I have to congratulate them,” said Dr. Tatsuo Kawai of Mass General, who noted that his own pig kidney patient was healthier overall going into his operation than NYU’s patient. “When the heart function is bad, it’s really difficult to do a kidney transplant.”More than 100,000 people are on the U.S. transplant waiting list, most who need a kidney, and thousands die waiting. In hopes of filling the shortage of donated organs, several biotech companies are genetically modifying pigs so their organs are more humanlike, less likely to be destroyed by people’s immune system.

NYU and other research teams have temporarily transplanted pig kidneys and hearts. Then the University of Maryland transplanted pig hearts into two men who were out of other options, and