In both areas, the wolves quickly established territories and growing populations. The Nez Perce tribe oversees the management of the Idaho wolves, which includes monitoring the populations and helping to resolve conflicts between ranchers and wild wolves. FWS defined wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies as the establishment of at least 10 breeding pairs for three consecutive years in Yellowstone, Idaho, and Montana. Within four years of reintroduction, both reintroduced populations had attained 10 breeding pairs a promising step for wolf recovery in the Northern Rockies. In 1998, FWS tackled gray wolf reintroduction in the Southwest, releasing 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves into their native territory in Arizona's Apache National Forest.
Mexican wolves are the most southern-occurring and genetically distinct gray wolf in North America.
The released animals were descendants of wild wolves that FWS had brought into captivity in the 1970s when it became clear that the Mexican gray wolf was on the verge of extinction in the wild. Since their release, the Mexican wolves have struggled to survive in a community that fears their presence. Five of the initial 11 wolves were shot, and others were lost or recaptured. But biologists believe wolves will ultimately reestablish themselves in the Southwest with human assistance. FWS is also studying the potential for wolf reintroductions in New York's Adirondack Park and in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula.