nature center notes
Celebrating red wolf births By Jill Sharp, Special to WNC Parent The WNC Nature Center celebrated a very special birthday this year. On May 9, four healthy red wolf puppies were born to Mayo and Phoenix, the resident breeding pair. This red wolf family (including Rufus, the grandfather of the puppies) are all part of the Species Survival Plan, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program that saved the red wolves from the brink of extinction. In the 1970s, only 14 red wolves remained in the world. Today, there are nearly 350, with 100 of those living in the wild. These numbers are still critiFour red wolf puppies cally small, but the were born in May at four new lives at the the WNC Nature Center. Nature Center inSPECIAL TO WNC PARENT crease this precious population by a whole 1 percent. The new wolves are being kept outside of public view until a time that staff and veterinarians think appropriate, and they are handled only for veterinary purposes. The wolves are wild animals from the beginning, growling within two weeks and already wary of human contact. Conservationists want to see these traits in young red wolves. After all, the descendants of these puppies may someday be in the wild. Red wolf puppies are born dark brown with closed eyes and folded ears. As adults, they will be sleek, with rusty red and cream coats and large ears. The native range of the red wolf was most of the southeast United States, but they are found now only on the coast of North Carolina. This is conservation on a critical scale, and preserving species like the red wolf for future generations depends on more than just SSP conservationists. Educating about the validity of wildlife conservation is one of the most important tools we can use to fight the rapid decline of biodiversity in the world. Like WNC Nature Center on Facebook for photos and videos of the growing puppies! To find out more about the efforts of the WNC Nature Center to preserve the native biodiversity of this area, visit www.wildwnc.org.
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