The Tallahassee Museum is thrilled to announce the recent birth of a new litter of endangered red wolves. In the early morning of April 26, 2024, four-year-old female Arrow birthed two healthy pups, 1 male and 1 female. This is Arrow and Rainier’s first litter of puppies. Rainier was born from the last litter of pups at the Tallahassee Museum in 2017. This is the fourth litter of red wolf puppies to have been born at the Tallahassee Museum since 1988.
Mimicking their wild counterparts, the red wolf parents keep their puppies well protected in the den box. Therefore, the pups are usually not visible to the public for two to three months after their birth. We invite the public to seize this unique opportunity to visit the Tallahassee Museum throughout the summer and fall months and witness the remarkable journey of these red wolf puppies as they grow into young adults.
The Tallahassee Museum Animal Department and the Attending Veterinarian team have been monitoring the pups growth and health during this time through the use of den cameras to reduce human interaction. Following their most recent exam, Dr. Manuel of Forgotten Coast Animal Hospital stated the pups are healthy and developing well.
The Tallahassee Museum has been a key participant in the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan, now the American Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) Project since 1988, following the alarming decline of wild red wolves. At the time, fewer than 20 red wolves were in the wild and declared biologically extinct. This drastic population decrease was primarily due to hunting and habitat loss. The Tallahassee Museum was among the first national sites to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a captive breeding program aimed to restore the red wolf population in the wild. As a partner in the American Red Wolf SAFE Project, the Museum strives to minimize human contact with the red wolves to promote avoidance behavior and support a healthy pack structure for their potential release into the wild. Red wolves are the most endangered canid in the world, with less than 250 on earth.
