Red Wolf F1563 (affectionately nicknamed “Salty”) was born on March 26, 2007 and as of late she has been a very busy lady! It’s been non-stop parenting for F1563. It began with her her first litter of three pups in 2014, she turned it up a notch in 2015 with her second and more robust litter, and the maternal grind continued into the new year as she juggled the rapidly-growing members of her brood single-handedly.

The Species Survival Plan (SSP) management group for the red 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 red wolves descended from just 14 founders rescued from extinction. Genetic diversity is the primary consideration in the selection of red wolf breeding pairs and because their genes are well represented in the captive population due to prior breeding success, F1563 and her mate M1803 (a.k.a. Moose) were not selected to proliferate during the 2016. Finally, a well-earned break for a hard-working mama. Well… kind of.

To prevent breeding from occurring the red wolf parents have been separated since the winter months – M1803 and his yearling son on one side of their vast enclosure and F1563 stuck with all the rowdy kiddos on the other!

Thankfully, the F1563 is a pro. She skillfully keeps both order and peace among all of her “pups” even though each likely outweighs her diminutive build. F1563 is tiny in size, but full of might. Even her voice demands compliance, her husky howl is a proper token of her formidable spirit.

So here’s hoping F1563 celebrates her 9th birthday by taking a well-earned day to relax.

Happy birthday, red wolf F1563! Learn more about the importance and plight of the critically endangered red wolf and the Wolf Conservation Center’s participation in recovery of the rare species.