H.R. 4255: Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025

This bill, titled the "Enhancing Safety for Animals Act of 2025," primarily aims to remove the Mexican wolf from the lists of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The following are the main components of the bill:

Delisting of Mexican Wolf

The bill proposes that the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) be officially removed from the threatened and endangered species lists. The findings presented in the bill highlight a significant increase in the Mexican wolf population, which has reportedly grown for nine consecutive years, with over 280 wild Mexican wolves and approximately 350 captive ones documented as of the end of 2024.

Justifications for Delisting

The bill offers several justifications for the delisting:

• The population of Mexican wolves is thriving and is expected to meet recovery goals related to gene diversity, population growth, and abundance.
• It argues that current recovery strategies from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have become unnecessarily complicated and have shifted over time, making it difficult for local communities to adapt to the growing wolf population.
• Claims are made that the increasing number of Mexican wolves poses risks to livestock and human safety, which can impact local economies, particularly for farmers and ranchers.
• Reportings state that the current methods for documenting livestock killed by Mexican wolves are inadequate, making it hard for ranchers to receive compensation for losses, due to new evidentiary standards set by the Wildlife Services division.

Nullification of Previous Rules

The bill would make two previous rulings of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service related to the Mexican wolf ineffective:

• The rule establishing the endangered status of the Mexican wolf from January 16, 2015.
• The rule that revised the nonessential experimental population of the Mexican wolf from July 1, 2022.

Bifurcation of Population Criteria

If the Mexican wolf is relisted as a threatened or endangered species after the enactment of this bill, the Secretary of the Interior would not be allowed to consider the wolves' status in Mexico when developing plans or making decisions regarding the classification and conservation efforts of the species.

Overall, the legislation addresses concerns raised by local communities regarding the growing population of Mexican wolves, their impact on livestock and human safety, and the related legal procedures surrounding their management and conservation.

Relevant Companies

• TSN - Tyson Foods, Inc.: May be impacted due to potential increases in livestock losses attributed to Mexican wolf predation in areas where the company operates.
• HRL - Hormel Foods Corporation: Similar to Tyson, could see impacts relating to livestock losses in affected regions.
• CHSCP - CHS Inc.: May be affected as they deal with agricultural products and have operations in areas that could see changes in livestock management practices due to wolf population changes.