A critically endangered Mexican gray wolf living at the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) made a priceless contribution to the recovery of her rare and at-risk species on Monday – she had pups!
On May 22, Mexican gray wolf F1226 (affectionately nicknamed Belle by supporters) gave birth to a litter of three girls.
Under Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) protocols, captive born pups must be checked during certain milestones in their development. The video was filmed when WCC staff checked the pups at one week old to confirm the size of the litter and take stock of their health.
Beyond being “adorable,” the pocket-sized predators represent the Center’s active participation in an effort to save a species on the brink of extinction.
The WCC is one of more than 50 institutions in the U.S. and Mexico participating in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan – a bi-national initiative whose primary purpose is to support the reestablishment of Mexican wolves in the wild through captive breeding, public education, and research.
The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of gray wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. In 1998 the wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act. Today in the U.S., there is a single wild population comprising only 113 individuals - an increase from the 97 counted at the end of 2015.
If you want to watch the WCC's critically endangered Mexican gray wolves in live time, visit our live wolf webcams at [ Ссылка ]. If you see something cool, let us know!
For more information about wolves and the WCC's participation in wolf recovery, please visit our website at www.nywolf.org and follow us on Facebook ([ Ссылка ]) and twitter ([ Ссылка ]), and Instagram ([ Ссылка ])
