Rare red wolf pups born at Chehaw

ALBANY — The first red wolf pups born in the United States this year have been born at Chehaw. These four pups could, one day, help restore this critically endangered species. Chehaw’s wolves are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Program.

Chehaw staff members welcomed two pups named Boone and Belle on March 29 to parents Ayita and Finnick and two other pups named Flint and Faith to parents Waya and Patriot on April 4. “I would assume that the pups will be out and about within the next two weeks. As they get older and braver, the pups will begin to adventure around the exhibit and become more visible. Right now they can be difficult to see,” said Zoological Manager Ben Roberts.

The pups will remain at Chehaw for a couple of years and may then be reassigned to another facility in order to start their own pack and help this rare species flourish once more.

Today, just 100 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina, and nearly 200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States. Because of this, the birth of four pups — two male and two female — represents a welcome increase in the overall scarce population.

“Chehaw is thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute in such a way to the first large carnivore release program in the country,” Roberts said. “We are looking at expanding our participation in the red wolf program in the future and hope to be a stopover point, holding wolves who are destined for re-release into the wild. That will depend on the federal program and what they do with it.”

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has asked the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to remove all red wolves from the Red Wolf Recovery Area in northeastern North Carolina—thus rendering them extinct in the wild. This action would be detrimental to red wolf conservation.

“We need to prove that the American public cares about wolves, wildlife, and conservation,” said Chehaw public relations coordinator Morgan Burnette. “If you want to make sure that the government does not give up on red wolves, contact your federal representatives and ask them to continue the re-release program in North Carolina.”

Red wolves are one of two wolf species found in the United States and were once common throughout the southeast. By the 1960s their population was virtually gone. They were officially listed as endangered in 1973. At that time, an effort was made to round up as many of these wild animals as possible. Seventeen pure bred red wolves were found in Texas and Louisiana and 14 of those became the breeding stock for the current population. In 1980 the species was listed as extinct in the wild. By the end of the decade, there were enough captive red wolves to begin looking at releasing them into the wild.

Red wolves are smaller than gray wolves and larger than coyotes, with adults ranging in weight from 53 to 84 pounds. Red wolves have tall pointed ears and long, slender legs with large feet. They stand about 26 inches at their shoulder and are about 4 feet long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

Although their exact diet in the wild varies, it usually consists of a combination of small deer, raccoons, and smaller mammals such as rabbits, rodents, and nutria. The red wolf can travel up to 20 miles a day or more to find food.

Chehaw is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is a non-profit organization located at 105 Chehaw Park Road. For more information call (229) 430-5275.