▁Mexico ▁collabor ated ▁to ▁capture ▁all ▁lo bos ▁remaining ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁This ▁extreme ▁measure ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁lo bos ' ▁ext inction . ▁Five ▁wild ▁Mexican ▁wol ves ▁( four ▁males ▁and ▁one ▁pre gn ant ▁female ) ▁were ▁captured ▁alive ▁in ▁Mexico ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁capt ive ▁bre eding ▁program . ▁From ▁this ▁program , ▁capt ive - bre d ▁Mexican ▁wol ves ▁were ▁released ▁into ▁recovery ▁areas ▁in ▁Arizona ▁and ▁New ▁Mexico ▁beginning ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁assist ▁the ▁animals ' ▁re colon ization ▁of ▁their ▁former ▁historical ▁range . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁there ▁are ▁ 1 4 3 ▁Mexican ▁wol ves ▁living ▁wild ▁and ▁ 2 4 0 ▁in ▁capt ive ▁bre eding ▁programs . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁The ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁distinct ▁sub species ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁by ▁Edward ▁Nelson ▁and ▁Edward ▁Gold man ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁its ▁small ▁size , ▁narrow ▁sk ull ▁and ▁dark ▁p elt . ▁This ▁w olf ▁is ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁sub species ▁of ▁Can is ▁l up us ▁in ▁the ▁tax onom ic ▁authority ▁M amm al ▁Species ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁( 2 0 0 5 ). ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁a ▁literature ▁review ▁of ▁previous ▁studies ▁was ▁undert aken ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Academ ies ▁of ▁Sciences , ▁Engineering , ▁and ▁Medicine . ▁The ▁position