Adorable Litter of Endangered Red Wolf Pups Give Hope for Future of At-Risk Species
Native to the southeastern United States, the red wolf has been an endangered species since 1967. Since the 1970s, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been running a captive breeding program and there is now actually a wild population in North Carolina. However, for the past four years, these wolves haven’t had any pups. That all changed this year. A joyous Facebook post by the Red World Recovery Program announced the birth of six wild red wolf pups.
The four females and two males born in April give new hope to this wild population, which was once estimated at up to 120 wolves in 2012 but has dwindled to just around 20 in 2021. The photographs posted show the pups piled together as staff members gently checked them over to assess their general health and microchip them so that they can be followed in the future. According to the post, mom was close by when they arrived and moved aside to let them inspect the den. The father was out hunting, with the visit timed specifically for that moment.
