A litter of six red wolf pups were born in the wild for the first time since 2018. The pups were born in the Alligator River National Wildlife refuge and the litter includes four females and two males.
Red wolves are endangered and sadly nearing extinction, they are the rarest canine predator on earth according to the Associated Press. A wild birth is incredibly rare because only 20 red wolves are known to remain in the wild and live in parts of eastern North Carolina.
The Center for Biological Diversity is celebrating the new litter and Staff Attorney Perrin de Jong said, “My heart is filled with hope at the sight of a new generation of red wolves taking their rightful place on the landscape.”
Governor Cooper tweeted about this historic event and said “The American Red Wolf, the most endangered canine species in the world, is only found in Northeastern North Carolina. We’ve been working hard to prevent their extinction and are excited to welcome these new red wolves.”
