I mentioned the end of March that we were preparing for red wolf pups and watching closely the second half of April. Well, the second half of April is here and I got a call from Autumn early Saturday morning that pups were here!

What great news to start the weekend!  Three pups were spotted on the den camera. Unsure if more were to come, we made plans to keep the exhibit area quiet all day, and check on the pups at night.

Saturday night our team went in for our first assessment. F2062 ran out of the den before we entered the exhibit, so accessing the pups was easy and quick. Here’s our new threesome:

Dr. Vanderford evaluated the pups. Two had sores on their foot pads. Foot pad issues happen quickly and can be a grave issue. We’ll be monitoring and treating diligently. (After the first 7-10 days foot pad issues diminish and actually are not typically a problem by the end of week one).

Other than the foot pad issues all appeared great. Everyone peed and pooped (a lot). Good hydration on all of them. All body parts were as they should be, looking as they should be.

Until they get their Studbook Numbers, “A”, “B” and “C” are who we have this year.

The first pup, “A”, was a large, feisty, and vocal male. He weighed 420 grams. “B”, also a male, was 342 grams, and “C”, our only female was 350 grams.

The next month is filled with lots of work and so many emotions — covering the spectrum from excitement to fear.  This first month is a critical time and survival is not guaranteed. Everyday the pups survive is a good day. One good day down. Hopefully many more to come.