11 Mexican wolves released into natural habitat in Chihuahua

In a joint effort between Mexico's Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa), the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, and the Autonomous University of Querétaro, 11 Mexican wolves, or lobos, which are classified as an endangered species, were released into their natural habitat.

In a press statement, the Profepa announced that these animals were released in a protected area that's home to the endangered lobo.

The agency also said that the animals were imported from the U.S. as part of an extreme captive breeding program aimed at preventing the lobos' extinction.

On December 1, 2016, officials from the Profepa received the animals at the Zaragoza International Bridge that connects the cities of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas.

In the 1970's, Mexico and the U.S. discovered that the lobos that lived in the U.S. side of the border had gone completely extinct and only a handful remained on the Mexican side of the border, so a joint effort was launched in order to capture all lobos remaining in the wild and start the intensive captive breeding program.

In 2011, the first lobos that were bred from this program were released into the wild in Mexico and the Profepa now runs a protection program in the area where the animals live freely.

This recent release of lobos marks the seventh of its kind in Mexico and the 39th lobo that's been bred in captivity and released into the wild since 2011.