Authorities say a female Mexican gray wolf that roamed beyond the endangered species’ recovery area into the more northern reaches of New Mexico has been captured.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish used a helicopter to locate and capture the wolf Sunday. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials in Albuquerque say the wolf will be held temporarily in captivity and paired with a male Mexican wolf “for transfer as a pair to Mexico later this year.”
Her roaming reignited a debate over whether the animals should be confined to a certain stretch of the southwestern U.S. as wildlife managers work to boost the population.