Two weeks ago the Wolf Conservation Center welcomed an new member to the family – Mexican gray wolf F1226!

Since her arrival, the 4-year-old is beauty has been settling in adjacent to Mexican wolf M1133 (aka Rhett) to allow the pair to get to know one another through the enclosure’s dividing fence. Well yesterday the pair were officially introduced to one another and it appears they have good chemistry! This is a good thing as we hope they will make a valuable contribution to the recovery of their rare species by having pups next spring.

Our webcams were trained on the couple during their very first moments together. Big thanks to one of the a dedicated members of the WCC webcam community for sharing capturing these moments.

Genetic diversity is the primary consideration in the selection of Mexican wolf breeding pairs. The Species Survival Plan (SSP) management group for the Mexican gray wolf determines which wolves should be bred each year by using software developed for the population management of endangered species. This is necessary because all Mexican wolves descended from just 7 founders rescued from extinction.

We won’t know the outcome of their union until “pup season” in April or May. But in the meantime, tune in to their LIVE webcam and let us know if you see anything interesting!