Six wolf pups are born in North Carolina’s wilderness. Here’s why that’s so special
A litter of red wolf pups was born in the wild this month in North Carolina, spurring a celebration among wildlife experts.
Red wolves are the most endangered wolves in the world, with last year’s data showing only 15 to 17 wolves left living in the wild, McClatchy News reported.
That’s why every pup counts.
The litter represents a “renewed hope for survival of a species,” the Red Wolf Recovery Program said in a news release on Facebook.
“Every generation yields a new born hope for the red wolf…a cause for joy and celebration,” the program said.
The litter of six wild red wolf pups — four females and two males — was confirmed by program staff on April 18, according to the release.
It is the first litter born in the North Carolina wilderness since 2018, the program said.
Once staff confirmed the litter, they evaluated the pups, according to the release.
“The mother moved away from the den as we approached, but remained relatively nearby out of sight,” the program said. “We tried to be as quick as possible with the least amount of disturbance to make it easier on her. The father was not in the area at the time and was likely out hunting.”
Once staff members returned the cubs to the den and left, the mother came back to the pups, the program said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) and the Red Wolf SAFE Program teamed up to release nine red wolves back into the North Carolina wilderness in February, McClatchy News reported.
While the wolves used to roam around a large region between southern New York to Central Texas, they were listed as endangered by 1973 due to overhunting and habitat lost, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Six wolf pups are born in North Carolina’s wilderness. Here’s why that’s so special."
