Awwww! Four endangered American red wolf pups ‘thriving’ since birth at Missouri wildlife reserve

FRANKLIN COUNTY — Only about 20 red wolves are known still to exist in the wild. The St. Louis Zoo just added four more to the 290 that live in captivity.

Four red wolves were born this spring at the St. Louis Zoo Sears Lehmann Jr. Wildlife Reserve in Franklin County. They were the first wolves ever born at the facility.

“When you consider how few red wolves remain, each birth is an achievement,” said Sabarras George, director of the St. Louis Zoo WildCare Park, which oversees the Wildlife Reserve.

Otter, a female, was born April 26 to Lava, who is 8, and 9-year-old Tyke. The parents came to the Wildlife Reserve last year from the Wolf Conservation Center in New York.

Molly and her brothers Finn and Obi were born May 4. Their parents are Ladybird, 3, and Wilber, who is 8. These are the first offspring for Ladybird and Wilber.

All the pups are healthy and thriving, according to zoo officials. The animals had their first medical checkups in June.

Ladybird came to the Wildlife Reserve from the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka. Wilber came from the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Florida.

Red wolves, which are smaller than gray wolves and often have red fur on their head and legs, once roamed the eastern and southern United States, from New York to Texas. Loss of habitat and predator-control programs decimated the population. They now exist in the wild only in North Carolina. They have not been seen in the wild in Missouri since the 1950s.

The Fish and Wildlife Service updated a recovery plan for the red wolf in September, hoping to revitalize the population over the next 50 years and remove it from the endangered species list. The plan is estimated to cost $328 million.

The Wildlife Reserve is now closed to visitors in order to give privacy to the 17 red wolves that live there. The intention is to let them learn natural survival skills and behavior with as little human interaction as possible.

The pups will live with their parents for at least two years, zoo officials said. After that, they may be sent to other institutions that are trying to breed and propagate the species.

Regina Mossotti, vice president of animal care at the St. Louis Zoo, said, “Every new birth offers hope for future reintroduction efforts for this vital national treasure.”

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