Red wolf cubs at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo:
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon praised zoo personnel at a press conference today announcing the new arrivals.
“There’s fewer than 20 of these wolves in the wild population today,” McMahon said. “The fact that we have six puppies here now is a really significant milestone for our team here overall.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists red wolves as a critically endangered species, and Humboldt penguins as a vulnerable species.
The red wolf pups were born on May 3 to Evie (mother) and Sage (father).
“Red wolves are the most critically endangered canine species in the world,” said Theo Cambpell, the zoo’s carnivore collection manager. “And it’s just such a huge deal that we’ve had them here. We haven’t had them since the 90s so we’re really excited to bring them on.”
The wolf pups are currently nursing in their den, out of sight of zoo visitors.
“Around a month they might start exploring outside,” Campbell said. “I can’t guarantee an exact day, but they can see now. And they are starting to explore.”
Here are some red wolf pups from another litter a few years ago. So cute:
