Antidote

There's a new litter of red wolf pups at Lincoln Park Zoo:

The arrival of spring also brings a litter of four critically endangered red wolf pups at Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo.

The pups, two male and two female, were born on April 13. The dam, Becca, and sire, Rhett, were recommended to breed as part of the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a cooperative effort among Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions to save species. This is the first litter for the zoo since 2010. . . .

Since 2005, Lincoln Park Zoo has been involved in the Red Wolf Recovery Program to try and assist the wild population with cross-fostering of zoo-born pups into wild family groups and other reintroduction efforts. Since that time, Lincoln Park Zoo scientists also conducted a Population Viability Analysis (PVA), a computer model which helped to evaluate different management scenarios for the zoo and wild populations and scientific advice to the Recovery Program. The future status of the North Carolina wild population is uncertain, but the Red Wolf SSP and Lincoln Park Zoo will continue to work toward long-term recovery efforts.

The picture's a little out of date -- they're out and about, exploring their home. I saw them yesterday. One of them got a little adventurous and went off on his own, but the rest were sticking close to mom.