The Roger Williams Park Zoo announced the historic birth of a critically endangered red Wolf pup!
We are ecstatic to announce that red wolves, Brave and Diego are first time parents!! Born on May 5, mom Brave has been observed carefully tending to her little one. This is a historic birth for our Zoo and an emblem of hope for the survival of this species. Only 15-20 red wolves remain in the wild, and they are all located in eastern North Carolina.
This is the first red wolf born at RWPZoo since 2005! The animal care team continues to monitor mom and baby through a camera located inside the wolves newly built birthing den. While the pup has been seen nursing and appears to steadily gain weight, the next month is a critical time for the pups’ development. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the pup when they begin to venture outside of the den in the coming weeks!
Red wolves were listed as Extinct in the Wild by 1980. Through the collaboration of the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Associations of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP), the last 14 remaining wild red wolves were brought into zoos to establish a captive breeding program with the primary objective of forming the foundation of a wild population through reintroduction back to the wild. Without zoos, red wolves would be extinct in the wild.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of these partner facilities across the United States, the captive red wolf population has once again risen steadily to nearly 250 wolves!
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