Mexican wolf (Source: Arizona Game and Fish Department)PHOENIX (CBS5) -
A radio-collared, 4-year-old male Mexican wolf was recaptured last week near Reserve, NM, after it failed to breed with a pack's female, federal wildlife authorities said.
The wolf had been released in early January in a designated recovery area in an attempt to replace the pack's breeding alpha male that was illegally killed in 2012. [Related: Mexican wolf released in AZ forest]
The decision was made to recapture the animal after he failed to bond and moved into an area in New Mexico where he was unlikely to encounter other wolves.
The wolf will now be paired with a female in captivity and then relocated to the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in the future.
"Although nearly 100 percent of Mexican wolves on the landscape are now wild-born, we are attempting to improve genetics by bringing in select captive-bred individuals, and this will be challenging at best," said Director Larry Voyles of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
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