Litter Of Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pups Born in the Wild – First Time Since 2018

A new litter of red wolf pups is bringing renewed hope to the future of the endangered species. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Red Wolf Recovery Program announced that four female and two male red wolf pups were born in April.

"As of August 2021, there are approximately 241 red wolves in 45 SSP facilities across the country. In the 2020-2021 breeding season, 30 breeding pairs were established and 23 pups in 6 litters were born," the agency reported, explaining: "Four adults were released into the wild in the NC NEP and 4 pups were fostered to a wild red wolf, leaving 19 pups added to the SSP population. With additional space capacity, and to increase the population, the number of breeding pairs for the 2021-2022 breeding season increased to 38 pairs."