Rare, Maned Wolf Pups Born

Wow, those are some cute wolves. The little fur-balls you’re looking at were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia (U.S.A.) last month, and they’re a litter of rare maned wolves; a species native to South America. Due to deforestation, the maned wolf population has dwindled under 20,000 specimens, with only 20 percent of their natural habitat remaining, so captive births like this are very important to the future of the species. In the past, maned wolves have proven very difficult to breed in captivity because of a percieved gastrointestinal disorder that makes it hard for zoos to figure out their dietery needs, however, the pups’ parents were put on a special diet that has so far proven successful. The pups were born to an 8-year-old mother wolf named Salina and her 4-year-old mate Nopal, who biologists believe to have wonderful genetics. The pups will be kept under extremely close observation for their important first month, and because they’re so darn adorable.