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Mexican wolf puppies moved to wild dens
A Mexican wolf puppy will emerge from his den in the coming weeks at Brookfield Zoo. The other six are now living in the wild.
BROOKFIELD, Ill. - A wolf species that used to be extinct in the wild is making a comeback thanks in part to the Brookfield Zoo.
Seven Mexican gray wolf puppies were born last month at the zoo.
One of them is staying here and is set to emerge from its den in the coming weeks.
The other six puppies were sent to live with wild Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services' Mexican wolf reintroduction project.
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"We've had both pups as well as adult wolves that were here at the zoo that have been reintroduced back into the wild. One of those adults that went back to the wild went on to have her own litter of pups in the wild, so it's really great to be able to see the success of that program build from year to year and that wild population come back," said Dr. Mike Adkesson, Vice President of the Clinical Medicine with the Chicago Zoological Society.
The Mexican gray wolf is critically endangered with only a few hundred in the wild.
Dr. Adkesson says Brookfield Zoo's efforts are helping to steadily increase their numbers.