It’s always great news when a new baby animal is born, especially when they’re part of an endangered species. Each new birth is a step towards keeping a species alive for a new generation.
Now, one zoo is celebrating the “historic birth” of the most endangered wolf in the world.
According to a press release from the Roger Williams Park Zoo, six-year-old red wolf Brave became a mother for the first time on May 5, after giving birth to a newborn.
It was exciting news for the zoo: it marks the first red wolf birth at the zoo since 2005, and is the first successful birth for Brave and her mate, 7-year-old Diego.
And it’s also major news because the red wolf is the most endangered canid species. According to the zoo, there are only between 15 and 20 red wolves left in the wild, all in eastern North Carolina.
“This is a historic birth for the Zoo and an emblem of hope for the survival of this species,” the zoo wrote.
The birth is in accordance with the Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Red Wolf Species Survival Plan, a program to breed red wolves in captivity, aiming to revive a species that was once listed as extinct. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has risen to nearly 250 wolves.
The cub is now over 20 days old, and is doing well with its mother: the zoo writes that Brave has been “carefully tending to her little one.” Zookeepers are keeping an eye on the cub through monitoring, and say the newborn appears to be steadily gaining weight.
The next few weeks will be a crucial time for the cub’s development, and the newborn and its mom will have some privacy: they’ll be behind-the-scenes until the pup is ready to venture outside the den.
But soon, zoo visitors will get a chance to see one of the world’s most endangered species — and hopefully the adorable newborn will inspire them to care about the red wolf’s conservation.
What an adorable red wolf cub, and an inspiring sign of hope for this critically endangered species! Welcome to the world!
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