7 0 s , ▁while ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁w olf ▁to ▁be ▁killed ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico ▁are ▁difficult ▁to ▁evaluate , ▁as ▁all ▁the ▁pur port ed ▁" last ▁wol ves " ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁confirmed ▁as ▁genu ine ▁wol ves ▁rather ▁than ▁other ▁can id ▁species . ▁ ▁The ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁pers isted ▁longer ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁as ▁human ▁settlement , ▁ran ch ing ▁and ▁pred ator ▁removal ▁came ▁later ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁South western ▁United ▁States . ▁Wolf ▁numbers ▁began ▁to ▁rapidly ▁decl ine ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s - 1 9 4 0 s , ▁when ▁Mexican ▁ran ch ers ▁began ▁adopt ing ▁the ▁same ▁w olf - control ▁methods ▁as ▁their ▁American ▁counter parts , ▁re lying ▁heavily ▁on ▁the ▁ind isc rim inate ▁usage ▁of ▁ 1 0 8 0 . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁and ▁recovery ▁ ▁The ▁Mexican ▁w olf ▁was ▁listed ▁as ▁end anger ed ▁under ▁the ▁U . S . ▁End anger ed ▁Species ▁Act ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁with ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Wolf ▁Rec overy ▁Team ▁being ▁formed ▁three ▁years ▁later ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service . ▁The ▁Rec overy ▁Team ▁composed ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Wolf ▁Rec overy ▁Plan , ▁which ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁re est ab lish ment ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 0 ▁wol ves ▁in ▁their ▁historic ▁range ▁through ▁a ▁capt ive ▁bre eding ▁program . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁four