ities ▁in ▁the ▁former ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁Wild ▁w olf d ogs ▁were ▁occasionally ▁h unted ▁by ▁European ▁arist ocracy , ▁and ▁were ▁term ed ▁ly cis ca ▁to ▁distinguish ▁them ▁from ▁common ▁wol ves . ▁Not ed ▁historic ▁cases ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁Be ast ▁of ▁Gé va ud an ) ▁of ▁large ▁wol ves ▁that ▁were ▁ab norm ally ▁ag gress ive ▁toward ▁humans , ▁may ▁be ▁att rib utable ▁to ▁w olf - dog ▁m ating . ▁In ▁Europe , ▁un intent ional ▁m ating ▁of ▁dogs ▁and ▁wild ▁wol ves ▁have ▁been ▁confirmed ▁in ▁some ▁populations ▁through ▁gen etic ▁testing . ▁As ▁the ▁surv ival ▁of ▁some ▁Cont inental ▁European ▁w olf ▁pack s ▁is ▁sever ely ▁threatened , ▁scient ists ▁fear ▁that ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁w olf dog ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁wild ▁is ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁the ▁continued ▁existence ▁of ▁European ▁w olf ▁populations . ▁However , ▁extensive ▁ad mi xture ▁between ▁w olf ▁and ▁dog ▁is ▁not ▁supported ▁by ▁morph ological ▁evidence , ▁and ▁anal ys es ▁of ▁m t D NA ▁sequences ▁have ▁revealed ▁that ▁such ▁m ating ▁are ▁rare . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁during ▁the ▁Mexican ▁Wolf ▁Arizona ▁Re int roduction , ▁controvers y ▁arose ▁when ▁a ▁capt ive ▁pack ▁at ▁Car ls bad ▁designated ▁for ▁release ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁largely ▁composed ▁of ▁w olf d ogs ▁by ▁Roy ▁Mc B ride , ▁who ▁had ▁captured ▁many ▁wol ves ▁for ▁the ▁recovery ▁programme ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7