That leads to all kinds of problems, among them the low likelihood that pups born this year will thrive. As it stands, the Mexican wolves in the wild, of which there are fewer than 100, are essentially as related as siblings. That inbreeding leads to smaller litters and fewer pups that live out their first year. New Mexican wolves have been needed to deepen the gene pool for several years, but Sandoval barred the release of more wolves here based on the lack of a finalized management plan for Mexican wolves that includes a set population goal. That plan is due out before the end of 2017, by court order secured by conservation agencies that sued the US Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to produce such a plan for the reintroduction program. The plan's targets for the population and its recovery area for Mexican wolves, currently inhabiting southern New Mexico, southern Arizona and northern Mexico, is among its more contentious pieces.