The Brief

The age-old battle between predator and prey is pushing some Arizona ranchers to the nation’s capital.

The decision to place Mexican Gray Wolves on the protected species list is putting cattle farmers across the Southwest in a difficult position, raising debate over conservation and livestock losses, or depredation.

The first captive wolves were released into the wild in 1998 as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's recovery efforts .

Local perspective:

The debate is personal for the Marks family, an Arizona ranching family based in Blue, Arizona. Rancher Ginger Cheney recalled finding a calf, Manuka, this spring after a wolf attack.

"She had been bitten on top of the head by the wolves, and they actually crushed the top of her skull," Cheney said.

After several

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