Until 1998, when reintroduction efforts began, Mexican gray wolves were considered extinct in the wild. &#40;There once were approximately 4,000 wolves in their historic range.&#41; In May 1976, the species was listed on the Endangered Species List by the U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service &#40;USFWS&#41;. <span class=meta>(Jim Schulz&#47;Chicago Zoological Society)</span>
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