US President Donald Trump has ordered a review of federal protections for grey wolves and Mexican wolves, a move that could eventually make it easier for ranchers to kill the animals blamed for attacking livestock.
The executive order directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to determine within 90 days whether the two wolf populations have recovered enough to be removed from the endangered species list. The order does not immediately give ranchers permission to shoot wolves preying on their livestock.
Trump's order described ranchers as playing a "vital role" in the US food supply chain and American cultural heritage, while pointing to falling livestock numbers and rising demand for beef.
It said US livestock herds were at a 75-year low, while demand for beef had increased by 10% over the past decade.
"More can and should be done to support this critical industry."
The move has drawn criticism from conservation groups, which warned that reducing federal protection could threaten years of work to rebuild wolf populations.
There were 319 Mexican wolves living in the wild in the US in 2025, according to US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) figures. That marked a major increase from the four animals recorded when the species was reintroduced in 1998.
The US is also home to about 18,000 grey wolves. Despite the larger population, the animals remain protected as endangered because much of their natural habitat has been lost to human activity.
A previous federal attempt to remove protections for grey wolves in 2022 became tied up in court battles. Conservation campaigners have indicated they could again challenge the move if the US Department of the Interior takes steps to act on Trump's order.
Environmental groups also questioned the scale of the threat wolves pose to ranchers, pointing to studies which found that livestock attacks were uncommon and had little effect on ranchers' income.
"This is a huge distraction to placate a handful of ranchers and make them believe that wolves are a greater threat than President Trump's own policies," said Greta Anderson, deputy director of Western Watersheds Project, which works to conserve wildlife in western US states.
The Wolf Conservation Center said ranchers can receive up to 100% compensation for livestock losses caused by wolves under the current system. Individual states also provide funding for programmes designed to prevent wolf attacks.
"The Mexican grey wolf is not recovered simply because the population has grown," said Claire Musser, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project. "Weakening federal protections now would put decades of recovery work at risk."
Trump's order comes as his administration works to bring down record-high beef prices for consumers. The price increases have been linked to drought and an outbreak of parasites affecting US beef stocks.
Ranchers have also been angered by Trump's decision to ease restrictions on beef imports as part of efforts to tackle rising prices, saying the move could put further pressure on already tight profit margins.
Wolves have a long history of conflict with US ranchers and landowners. The federal government began a campaign to systematically exterminate wolves towards the end of the 19th Century, while farmers and landowners also trapped and killed the animals.
Those efforts pushed wolves close to being wiped out.
Ranchers continue to regard wolves as a nuisance, although killing them outside the conditions allowed by law remains a federal crime.