Thank you Scientific American for joining the first wolf pup checkup for the three critically endangered Mexican gray wolf pups born on May 22!
Beyond being adorable, these pups represent the Wolf Conservation Center‘s active participation in an effort to save a species on the brink of extinction. The Mexican gray wolf or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. In 1998 the wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act.
Under Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP) protocols, captive born pups must be checked during certain milestones in their development. WCC staff checked in when the pups were about 10 days old to determine the size of the litter and take stock of the pups’ health, and again today at their two-month mark to record their heart rate and weight, and administer wormer and the first of a series of Distemper/Parvo vaccinations.
To learn more about the importance and plight of Mexican gray wolves here.
