Rare Wolf Pups On The Verge Of Extinction Born At Lincoln Park Zoo
CHICAGO (CBS)--A litter of critically-endangered rare wolf pups was born at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.
The four red wolf pups--two males two females--were born on April 13.
Zoo curator Dan Boehm expressed his excitement about the tiny new additions to the zoo in a Facebook post.
"Scientists estimate there are less than 40 red wolves left in their native habitat of North Carolina, meaning the species is on the very brink of extinction," Boehm wrote. "We could not be more ecstatic for the arrival of these pups to help save this species and bolster the population."
Wildlife blog Scientific American included the red wolf on its list of the top five most endangered wolf species in the word. Illegal hunting and an influx of coyotes moving into their native territories has threatened the existence of red wolves.