Michigan Zoo Sends Mexican Gray Wolf to Albuquerque zoo

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Albuquerque's zoo has received a Mexican gray wolf from Binder Zoo in Battle Creek as part of an international recovery effort that includes breeding the endangered animals in captivity to ensure the species' genetic viability.

The ABQ BioPark hopes to mate with a 4-year-old female wolf already at the Albuquerque zoo.

The transfer stemmed from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan and the zoos holding Mexican wolves.

The wild population in New Mexico and Arizona has struggled to gain significant ground since the first release in 1998. About 114 wolves are thought to be roaming the two states.

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