Farmed Animal Grazing Threatens Endangered Species in New Mexico and Arizona

A 2025 study by the Center for Biological Diversity reveals that farmed animal grazing is causing significant harm to habitats critical for endangered species in New Mexico and Arizona. The research found that almost half of the surveyed areas have suffered “significant harm,” with only 14% showing no damage at all. Cows trampling delicate streambeds, destroying vegetation, and contaminating waterways through urination and defecation are the primary causes of the damage, preventing the growth of new riparian forests and destabilizing waterways in the arid Southwest.

Conservationists have taken legal actions resulting in the removal of more than 3,600 cows from protected areas, but argue that more action is needed to protect endangered species. The study calls for urgent collaboration between federal agencies and land managers to prevent further intrusion of farmed animals into protected habitats, giving these species a chance to recover. Areas where cows have been removed are showing signs of recovery, but full restoration is expected to take decades.