ASHEBORO, N.C. -- The North Carolina Zoo has added 5 American red wolves to the family!
The litter (three females and two males) was born Sunday, April 15, while heavy storms ran rapidly across the triad. Including a EF-2 tornado in Greensboro.
Therefore, it was only right that the pups were named accordingly; Thunder, Hurricane, Thor, and Typhoon.
The fifth pup was named Oklahoma because of the Oklahoma shaped white ‘blaze’ on her chest.
The new additions bring the total number of red wolves at the Zoo to 24, making the NC Zoo the second biggest pack in the U.S.
The pups are being held in a quiet non-public viewing area, allowing the mother to raise them with little to no stress in a natural habitat.
American red wolves are the most endangered canid (a mammal of the dog family) in the world.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began the ‘American Red Wolf Recovery Program’ after the wolves nearly became extinct in the late 1960’s.
The NC Zoo has been a part of the ‘American Red Wolf Recovery Program’ since 1994.
Recently, the NC Zoo has helped the American red wolf become apart of the Association of Zoo and Aquariums SAFE (Saving Species From Extinction) Program.
The program allows the NC Zoo to take the lead in protecting the red wolf while growing the population both in the wild and under human care.
For more information, you can visit www.nczoo.org
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