PHOTOS: Mexican gray wolves born at Brookfield Zoo, 2 released in wild

Posted May 10, 2016, by WGN Web Desk

Blaze (left) and Brooke, a 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf puppies born at Brookfield Zoo, sleep while in transit to Arizona to be placed with the Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster the pups along with its own litter as part of a recovery program for the species. The fostering of Blaze and Brooke is only the second time in the history of the program that pups born in professional care were placed with an established wild pack. The technique, which has proven to be successful in this species, as well as in other wildlife, shows promise to improve the genetic diversity of the wild wolf population. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

BROOKFIELD, Ill. — A litter of five Mexican gray wolves were born at the Brookfield Zoo in April, and two of them have been released in the wild.

This is the second litter born to Zana, 4, and Flint, 6. Currently, three of the puppies are in a den being nurtured by their pack at the zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat. The other two, named Blaze and Brooke, were placed in the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster them with its own litter.

In pup fostering, very young pups are moved from one litter to another litter of similar age so that the receiving pack raises the pups as their own.

The technique, which has proven to be successful in this species, as well as in other wildlife, shows promise to improve the genetic diversity of the wild wolf population.

Mexican gray wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolves in North America.

 source

Chicago Zoological Society veterinary and animal care staff perform neonatal examinations on Blaze and Brooke, two 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf pups, prior to their departure from Brookfield Zoo. As part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program, the pups were flown to be placed in the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster them with its own litter. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

Brooke (identified as F1472), a 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf puppy born at Brookfield Zoo receives a neonatal examination from Chicago Zoological Society veterinary staff prior to her departure to Arizona to be placed with a wild pack, which will foster her and her brother, Blaze, as its own. As part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program, adult and offspring wolves at Brookfield Zoo are potential candidates for release to the wild in order to improve the genetic diversity of the wild population. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

Blaze (identified as M1471), a Mexican gray wolf puppy born at Brookfield Zoo, prior to his trip across country to be placed with the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves as part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program. There he and his sister, Brooke (identified as F1472), will be fostered along with the pack’s own litter of newborn pups. The program is a multi-agency collaboration between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the USDA Forest Service, and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—Wildlife Services, as well as private organizations. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.



Brooke, a 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf born at Brookfield Zoo, is examined by a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service veterinarian in Arizona. The pup, along with her brother, Blaze, will be placed in the Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster them with its own litter. The program is a multi-agency collaboration between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums of which , the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the USDA Forest Service, and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—Wildlife Services, as well as private organizations. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service veterinarian and Chicago Zoological Society veterinary technician head back to the plane for their trip home after a successful day of placing two Mexican gray wolf puppies born at Brookfield Zoo with an Arizona-based wolf pack, which will foster them with their own litter as part of a recovery program for the species. In pup fostering, very young pups are moved from one litter to another litter of similar age so that the receiving pack raises the pups as their own. The technique, which has proven to be successful in this species, as well as in other wildlife, shows promise to improve the genetic diversity of the wild wolf population. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

An aerial view of the Arizona-based Elk Horn wolf pack’s territory. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.


A biologist with the Interagency Field Team uses radio telemetry to locate the den site of the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack where two Mexican gray wolf puppies born at Brookfield Zoo will be placed for fostering as part of a recovery program. The technique, which has proven to be successful in this species, as well as in other wildlife, shows promise to improve the genetic diversity of the wild wolf population. Photo credit: Interagency Field Team.