According to a press release from the Roger Williams Park Zoo, six-year-old red wolf Brave gave birth to a newborn cub thus becoming a mother for the first time on May 5.
It was great news for the zoo as there hadn’t been any red wold births since 2005. Brave and her mate 7-year-old Diego became parents for the first time and had a cub that would help their endangered species.
“This is a historic birth for the Zoo and an emblem of hope for the survival of this species,” the zoo wrote.
Only 15-20 red wolves were remaining in the wild and all in eastern North Carolina. The birth is by the Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Red Wolf Species Survival Plan, a program to breed red wolves in captivity. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has risen to nearly 250 wolves.
