>> Laura: A 1998 WOLF REINTRODUCTION IN THE GILA  NATIONAL FOREST BEGAN WHEN SEVEN CAPTIVE-BRED MEXICAN  WOLVES WERE RELEASED.

THIS WEEK, THE U.S.

FISH AND  WILDLIFE SERVICE ANNOUNCED THERE ARE NOW 257 MEXICAN  WOLVES.

THAT'S 37 PACKS HERE IN NEW  MEXICO AND 23 IN ARIZONA.

THEY ALSO SAID 138 PUPS WERE  BORN LAST YEAR, AND 86 OF THOSE SURVIVED IN THE WILD.

THE NUMBERS REPRESENT JUST A SLIGHT BUMP FROM LAST YEAR'S  COUNT, WHICH HAS ACTIVISTS CALLING FOR CHANGES IN THE  PROGRAM.

AND WHILE MOST NEW MEXICANS  HAVE OPINIONS ABOUT WOLF REINTRODUCTION ONE WAY OR  THE OTHER, MOST PEOPLE WILL NEVER SEE A WILD WOLF.

IN JANUARY, VIDEOGRAPHER JOHN BRITT AND I JOINED  BIOLOGISTS WHO USE DIFFERENT TOOLS FOR THE COUNT,  INCLUDING REMOTE CAMERAS AND SCAT COLLECTION.

ON THIS DAY, WE WATCHED HELICOPTER CREWS BRING  ANIMALS THEY TRACKED BY TELEMETRY AND THEN DARTED,  TWO FEMALE WOLVES, ONE FROM THE COTTONWOOD CANYON PACK  AND FROM THE LEON PACK.

HERE'S A LOOK AT THAT DAY.

>> McGee: LAST YEAR, WE HAD A GROWTH OF 25 PERCENT WITH  AN END NUMBER OF 242 MINIMUM.

I'M EXPECTING A GROWTH AGAIN THIS YEAR.

I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW MUCH.

THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, IS TRYING  TO DETERMINE HOW MANY ARE OUT THERE.

>> Greenleaf: WE GET IN THE HELICOPTER, WE'RE GOING  AFTER CERTAIN TARGET WOLVES, AND I GUIDE THE HELICOPTER  IN USING RADIO TELEMETRY, TELL THEM WHAT OUR TARGET  IS, AND IT KIND OF GOES OVER TO THE PILOT AND TO THE  DARTER AT THAT POINT.

>> Oakleaf: AND THEN THE  PILOT IS TALKING BACK AND FORTH.

ALLISON IS COMMUNICATING HAZARDS.

WE'RE BOTH LOOKING AT THE WOLF A LOT.

I'M ONLY LOOKING AT THE WOLF.

SO IN ORDER TO AVOID TREES AND STUFF, IF YOU DON'T HAVE  ALLISON IN THERE, WE COULD EASILY RUN INTO STUFF.

SO CREW COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT.

AND THEN FOR MY PART, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THAT DART  INTO THE WOLF WITH TALL TREES AROUND, HELICOPTER  MOVING, WOLF MOVING, WIND MOVING, THE WHOLE WORLD  MOVING.

JUST TRYING TO GET THE DOT  ON THE WOLF AND GET IT DARTED.

SO YOU MISS A LOT.

IT'S A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE.

BUT SOMETIMES YOU GET A SHOT AND YOU FEEL GOOD FOR A  LITTLE WHILE.

>> Dr. Dicks: THIS WAS A  PUP THAT WAS DARTED IN THE LEON PACK AREA.

WE HAD PLACED PUPS FROM CAPTIVITY, FROM MANAGED CARE  ZOO, INTO THE DEN IN THE SPRINGTIME, WHICH I GOT TO  HELP WITH.

SO IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE  THEM GROWN UP.

THIS PUP WAS ONE OF THE  WILD-BORN PUPS, WHICH WE'RE ALSO VERY PLEASED ABOUT, AND  ESPECIALLY WITH THIS CASE, BECAUSE THE MOTHER OF THIS  WOLF WAS A FOSTER HERSELF SHE WAS BORN IN A ZOO.

SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.

>> THIS IS A YOUNG FEMALE.

NO, LEAVE THE DART.

DO EVERYTHING ELSE FIRST.

>> Dr. Dicks: GOT A BUNCH  OF MEASUREMENTS, A LOT OF DATA.

IT'S AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF  DATA FROM HER THAT'S FROM HER BODY, FROM HER BLOOD.

WE CHECK DISEASE TITERS, WE CHECK GENETICS.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE PLACE A RADIO COLLAR, WHICH IS A  REALLY SERIOUS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, IS THE  REASON WE'RE CAPTURING HER.

>> McGee: THE RED ON THE  SHOULDERS IDENTIFIES THAT THEY'RE BREEDING.

>> Dr. Dicks: I ALSO DO GO AHEAD AND STILL GIVE  VACCINES TO THESE ANIMALS, THE SAME VACCINES YOUR DOG  WOULD GET, RABIES AND DISTEMPER PARVO.

AS A VETERINARIAN, IT'S INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL HEALTH.

LIKE, I STILL HAVE TO CARE ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL WOLF.

BUT WE DO LOOK AT THE POPULATION, WE CALL THAT  HERD HEALTH, AND SO I GET A LOT OF INTERESTING  VETERINARY MEDICINE THAT WAY, TOO.