The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the male and a pregnant female were transferred from the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge wolf facility to a staging area at the edge of the wilderness.
They were released Tuesday.
The agency says the female was released prior to birthing to increase chances that the wolves will den in the area.
The federal agency began releasing wolves on the New Mexico-Arizona border in 1998 to re-establish the species in part of its historic range.
The animals had been hunted to near extinction in the early 1900s.
______________
Wolves are my favorite animals so this story really brings a smile to my face
