Five months after their move to Durham, the Museum of Life and Science's red wolf pair are parents. The museum celebrated the birth of three red wolf pups on Saturday. After a checkup on Sunday, the museum announced that the pups are doing well and include two males and a female.
Less than 300 red wolves, once a top predator in the southeastern United States, live in captivity or in the wild. Now there are three more to add to their ranks.
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"We’re so excited. We couldn’t be more thrilled to do our part in the recovery of this critically endangered species," said Sherry Samuels, the Museum of Life and Science's Animal Department Director and member of the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan Management Team. "The first 30 days are a particularly critical time and we will continue regular monitoring."
Pups arrive a year after previous litter
The births come a year after the museum's previous red wolf pair gave birth to six red wolf pups. Four pups ultimately survived from that litter. And three went on a brief adventure when they escaped from their enclosure in June before safely returning home. In November, that red wolf family moved the Wolf Conservation Center in Salem, N.Y.
At about the same time, a new breeding pair took their place in the museum's wolf habitat. They include a male born in May 2010 at the Wolf Conservation Center who had sired two litters of pups, along with a female, who was born in August 2014 at N.C. State's College of Veterinary Medicine and was later transferred to the N.C. Zoo.
This is the fourth time in 25 years that successful breeding of red wolves has occurred at the Museum of Life and Science, according to a press release. The museum received its first red wolf in November 1992, followed by a litter of pups in May 1993 and April 2002. After 15 years with no pups, the museum welcomed in new litter in April 2017.
In good health
A checkup on Sunday found that all three pups were doing well and in good health, according to a post on the museum's Facebook page. The red wolf family remains on exhibit in the Explore the Wild enclosure, which is open to visitors for now, according to a museum press release, but they might not always be easy to spot.
Pups typically begin to open their eyes about 10 to 14 days after they are born and often venture out of the den for short periods of time around three weeks of age, the press release says.
At around six weeks, they will begin to spend longer amounts of time out of the den, but the public should not plan to see much of them before early June.
Even then, they may be difficult to spot; red wolves are notoriously shy and can be quite reserved around crowds and loud noises, according to the museum. Museum staff will be present at the wolf habitat throughout the summer to answer questions and help guests stay calm, quiet and observant, the release says.
"Like last summer, it should be another amazing ride for everyone in the Museum family," Samuels said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for our visitors to practice the skills used by wildlife biologists observing red wolves in the wild. Quiet observation and patience will be key when viewing our new pups."
The pups also are in for lots of checkups. The museum's animal care staff will continue to monitor the health of both the pups and the adult wolf pair over the coming weeks. Pup checks will occur throughout the first week. A preventative medicine protocol of deworming, vaccines, and general checks will occur approximately every two weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age, according to the museum.