Native to the southeastern United States, thered wolfhas been anendangered speciessince 1967.
Since the 1970s, the U.S.
However, for the past four years, these wolves haven’t had any pups.
That all changed this year.
A joyous Facebookpostby theRed World Recovery Programannounced the birth of six wild red wolf pups.
The father was out hunting, with the visit timed specifically for that moment.
Adult red wolf
By 1973 when the Endangered Species Act was passed, there were only 17 red wolves in the wild.
Fourteen of these wolves were used to start a captive breeding program.
By 1980, the red wolf was officially declared extinct in the wild.
Captive-born red wolf pup
While the captive population stood at 241 as of 2021, the wild population has suffered losses.
Red wolves are native to the southeastern United States and have been endangered since 1967.
Adult red wolf
Since the 1970s, a captive breeding program has kept up the population.
Wild red wolf pups in their den
This is the first wild litter in four years.
USFWS microchipping wild-born red wolf pup
