In May of this year, the Salisbury Zoo announced the exciting addition of five red wolf pups! Historically, red wolves ranged from Pennsylvania to Florida and west to Texas. Declared extinct in the wild in 1980, today wild red wolves live only in North Carolina following a successful reintroduction program.

Salisbury Zoo Announcement – June, 2008

If you haven’t been to the Salisbury Zoo lately you need to stop by and see the Zoo’s newest addition – a pack of 5 red wolf pups! The new wolf pups born on May 4, 2008 are now starting to venture out into their exhibit at the Richard and Patricia Hazel Delmarva Trail at the Salisbury Zoo. After being very close to their mom in the wolf den for the past month, the little creatures have decided to explore their surroundings.

Declared extinct in the wild in 1980, the red wolf has been successfully reintroduced to protected areas in eastern North Carolina. Currently, the red wolf is federally protected by the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Association and The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) cooperatively manage the species in the wild and in captivity thru the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). An estimated 100 red wolves roam the wilds of northeastern North Carolina and about 150 are in captive breeding programs like at the Salisbury Zoo.

The new pups will call the Salisbury Zoo their home for the next year. Visitors will be able to see the pack grow into adolescents. Red wolves reach maturity at about 2-3 years. In the wild, once fully mature, they seek their own mate and form their own pack. After analyzing the conservation needs of the species, the pups will find homes in other captive breeding facilities. As they mature they will become more active. The most consistent time to see them is in the early morning and late afternoon. Please come and enjoy these amazing creatures.