There are only about 200 Mexican wolves in captivity. Releases will continue through 2002. The goal of the reintroduction program is to restore at least 100 wolves to the wild by 2008. Mexican wolves are known to reach 15 years of age in captivity. Once ranging from central Mexico to southwestern Texas, southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona, today the Mexican wolf has been reintroduced to the Apache National Forest in southeastern Arizona and may move into the adjacent Gila National Forest in western New Mexico as the population expands.
Mexican wolves prefer to live in mountain forests, grasslands and shrublands.
Mexican wolves prey on white-tailed deer, mule deer and elk but are also known to eat smaller mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels and mice. Wolves are very social animals. A hierarchy of dominant and subordinate animals within the pack help it to work as a unit. May. Two to eight pups are born every year. The average litter is between four and seven pups.