ings . ▁ ▁Re leases ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁conducted ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁birth ▁of ▁a ▁wild ▁w olf ▁l itter ▁in ▁Mexico ▁was ▁reported ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁A ▁study ▁released ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁shows ▁a ▁minimum ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 0 9 ▁wol ves ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁in ▁south west ▁New ▁Mexico ▁and ▁sout heast ▁Arizona , ▁a ▁ 3 1 ▁percent ▁increase ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁survey ▁done ▁on ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁in ▁Al pine , ▁Arizona , ▁the ▁recovery ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁is ▁being ▁neg atively ▁impact ed ▁due ▁to ▁po aching . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁slow ing ▁recovery , ▁G PS ▁monitoring ▁devices ▁are ▁being ▁used ▁to ▁monitor ▁the ▁wol ves . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁ 1 4 ▁Mexican ▁wol ves ▁were ▁killed , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁highest ▁death ▁count ▁of ▁any ▁year ▁since ▁they ▁were ▁re int rodu ced ▁into ▁the ▁wild ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ 2 ▁of ▁the ▁death s ▁were ▁caused ▁by ▁officials ▁trying ▁to ▁col lar ▁the ▁animals . ▁The ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁death s ▁remain ▁under ▁investigation . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁approximately ▁ 3 1 ▁wild ▁Mexican ▁gray ▁wol ves ▁inhab ited ▁Ch ih u ah ua ▁and ▁Son