Brookfield Zoo Chicago is howling with excitement after nine Mexican wolf pups were born at the zoo on April 27.
“This will be the third litter that I have been part of and seen born here at the zoo. Every single time, it’s as exciting as the first one,” said Mark Wanner, associate vice president of animal care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo.
Visitors can see two of the pups — both females, who will stay at the zoo. The other seven were placed in two wild dens in New Mexico on May 7 and 8 to increase the Mexican wolf population in the wild, which is considered endangered.
The placement of the seven pups is part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, which Brookfield Zoo participates in alongside partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.
Animal specialists used a conservation technique called fostering to transfer zoo-born wolf pups into wild dens. The goal is for the wild wolf mother to adopt the new pups as her own.
After the seven pups arrived in New Mexico, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife team covered them in fecal matter, urine or hair from the wild pups already in the den, Wanner said.
“[They] rub it all over the new puppies, so they have the same scent as the puppies that are within that den,” Wanner said. “Mom is more apt to accept them.”
Afterward, the pups were swabbed for DNA and given identification numbers. To date, there have been 126 foster pups in 48 wild dens, Wanner said.
“We often assume that not all the puppies might survive, but the numbers have been outstanding,” Wanner said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program asked to keep the two pups at the zoo, Wanner said.
Guests can view the pups, who are yet to be named, at the Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat. There, they live with their parents, 5-year-old Vivilette and 11-year-old Amigo, and older brother, 1-year-old Ahote.
The two pups will grow up with their mom and dad, Wanner said. The parents will bring food to their pups, like beef bones, rabbits and deer carcasses.
Once the pups reach breeding age, the zoo will likely receive a recommendation to transfer them to another accredited institution for breeding.
But for now, it may be tough for guests to see them, given the tall grass and how small the pups are — the size of an adult rabbit, Wanner said.
“If you want to spend time, be patient … and try and see them, that would be incredible,” Wanner said.