Four Mexican wolf pups, two males and two females, have been born at the San Juan de Aragón Wildlife Conservation Center in Mexico City, marking an important milestone in efforts to save this endangered species.
The pups, born on April 21, emerged from their burrow for the first time exactly one month later under the watchful care of their parents. The wolf pair was specially selected for their high genetic value and transported from Tamaulipas and the Tamatán Zoo as part of the Mexico-United States Binational Conservation Program.
The birth represents significant progress in the recovery of Mexican wolves, which had virtually disappeared from North American landscapes by the 1970s. Thanks to conservation programs like the one in Mexico City, this subspecies of gray wolf is making a comeback, with approximately 300 wolves now living wild in Arizona, New Mexico, and Chihuahua.
Since 1978, the Mexico City program has contributed to the birth of 194 Mexican wolf pups. This success led to Mexico reclassifying the subspecies in 2019 from “probably extinct in the wild” to “endangered.”
The pups will soon undergo comprehensive health checks including genetic testing. They are being kept isolated from human contact to prepare them for potential release into the wild.
Mexican wolves face unique challenges as the entire existing population descends from just seven individuals, making them susceptible to inbreeding problems including vulnerability to disease and reduced adaptability. Endemic to northern Mexico and the southern U.S., these wolves typically weigh 60-80 pounds and stand 26-32 inches high at the shoulder.
The Mexico City Environment Ministry (Sedema) stated that the ultimate goal is to achieve a genetically healthy captive population capable of sustaining reintroductions to create a stable wild population within the wolves’ historical range.
For more details about this conservation program, visit the source.
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