▁males ▁and ▁a ▁pre gn ant ▁female ▁were ▁captured ▁in ▁Dur ango ▁and ▁Ch ih u ah ua ▁in ▁Mexico ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁found ers ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁" cert ified ▁line age ". ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁new ▁line ages , ▁the ▁capt ive ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁population ▁throughout ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁Mexico ▁reached ▁ 1 7 8 ▁individuals . ▁These ▁capt ive - bre d ▁animals ▁were ▁subsequently ▁released ▁into ▁the ▁Apache ▁National ▁Forest ▁in ▁eastern ▁Arizona , ▁and ▁allowed ▁to ▁re colon ize ▁east - central ▁Arizona ▁and ▁south - central ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁areas ▁which ▁were ▁collect ively ▁term ed ▁the ▁Blue ▁Range ▁Wolf ▁Rec overy ▁Area ▁( BR W RA ). ▁The ▁Rec overy ▁Plan ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁additional ▁wol ves ▁in ▁the ▁White ▁S ands ▁Wolf ▁Rec overy ▁Area ▁in ▁south - central ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁should ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁wild ▁wol ves ▁in ▁the ▁Blue ▁Range ▁area ▁not ▁be ▁achieved . ▁ ▁By ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁estimated ▁that ▁there ▁were ▁at ▁least ▁ 7 5 ▁wol ves ▁and ▁four ▁bre eding ▁pairs ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁recovery ▁areas , ▁with ▁ 2 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁consisting ▁of ▁pu ps . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁ 9 2 ▁w olf ▁death s ▁were ▁recorded , ▁with ▁four ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ; ▁these ▁four ▁were ▁all ▁due ▁to ▁illegal ▁shoot