WCC’s curator, Rebecca Bose, opens the gate with Animal Embassy’s Chris Evers

October 28, 2009 – Still groggy from a “red eye” flight, red wolf M1483 was released into his new home – the Wolf Conservation Center’s recently opened red wolf exhibit- after a long flight from Tacoma, WA. The wolf was greeted by WCC staff and volunteers at Newark International Airport at 6:30am! When we opened the travel crate’s gate to reveal a beautiful home to the new addition to the WCC family, M1483 stayed put! Perhaps the early flight had taken its toll. He looked around for 2 to 3 minutes until he finally made the leap and ventured out into the unknown. M1483 is currently living adjacent to female red wolf, F1397, and they will be united following a brief adjustment period. The pair will be given the opportunity to breed this winter because their offspring will increase the genetic diversity of their rare species. If F1397 and F1483 prove fruitful next spring, their pups will be candidates for release! A number of captive born pups each year are selected to be transferred and inserted into the den of wild wolves. The wild wolves then embrace and raise these new pups as their own. The pups develop in the wild and thus gain survival skills required to mature and reproduce. Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned.