Critically Endangered Red Wolf Pup Gets a Wild Foster Mom

In
late April, a Red Wolf pup was born
at the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program facility
in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina. Born in captivity,
the little female was the only surviving pup of her litter. The Red Wolf
Recovery Program has taken this opportunity to introduce the pup to a wild
litter of pups.

Since 2002, the Red Wolf Recovery Program has been successfully fostering pups into wild litters to help increase the genetic diversity of this critically endangered species. The attempts have been a great success: no wild wolf mother has ever been known to reject a foster pup. The survival rates of fostered pups also seem to be the same as their wild-born littermates’.

The
captive-born pup was introduced into a litter of two females. Conservationists worked
quickly and carefully to remove all pups from the den while the mother was
away. They collected blood samples to keep track of parentage and implanted a
microchip in each pup. When the wolves are older, they will be captured for a
radio-collar fitting, and a quick scan of the microchip will allow USF&W to identify the wolf without temporarily holding it in captivity. Once the foster pup was
masked with the scent of her littermates’ urine, all three were returned to the
den to wait for their mother’s return.

Photo Credits: USFWS / B.Bartel

There are several factors that can
determine the likelihood of successful fostering. Ideally, the pups need to be
no older than two-weeks of age at the time of the fostering. During this
time, the strong maternal instinct of the mother decreases the likelihood of
pup rejection. The pups have limited mobility at this age as well, which
ensures they will stay in or nearby the den site and the mother. All the
pups need to be similar in age, to reduce any one-sided competition for
food. Lastly, a good potential foster mother usually has a relatively low
number of pups in her litter, ensuring that she will be able to care for the
new addition.

Once common throughout the eastern and south-central
United States, Red Wolf populations were decimated by the early part of the
20th century as a result of intensive predator control programs and the
degradation and alteration of the species' habitat. The red wolf was designated
an endangered species in 1967, and shortly thereafter the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve the species. Today, more than
100 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina, and nearly
200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the
United States.