The Northeast may have been hit by a cold snap, but things seem to be heating up in one of our red wolf enclosures! When F1397 and M1483, members of the SSP for critically endangered red wolves, were first introduced as potential mates, their interactions reminded us of a junior high school dance: there was a lot of awkwardness and the boy and girl were definitely keeping their distance from each other.

Lately though, relations seem to be thawing. The other day we observed some interesting interactions, with F1397 playfully approaching M1483 as he snacked on some leftover deer. Could this be flirting? There’s definitely still some tension (especially when F1397 gets her teeth and paws on a deer carcass), but we’re hoping this could be the start of a beautiful relationship…