Breeding Success of Endangered Mexican Wolf at the California Wolf Center

June 2007 - JULIAN, CA - The endangered Mexican wolf received a much needed boost to its population this April as eight pups (three males and five females) were born at the California Wolf Center. The eight-week old pups have now been given their initial medical examination, microchip, and vaccinations. All of the pups are healthy and in good condition. 

Venturing from their den at just four weeks of age, the pups have been busy exploring their environment. By the fifth week, the pups were weaned and eating meat that the adults had brought to the den. By early winter, the pups will approach adult size. The Mexican wolf is one of the rarest land mammals in the world, with less than 60 individuals in the wild and 300 in the global population. 

Since 1997, the California Wolf Center has played an important role in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP), a bi-national captive breeding program that supports the reintroduction of the highly endangered Mexican gray wolf into the wild. The California Wolf Center participates in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan as a breeding facility, currently hosting nineteen endangered Mexican wolves. The Center is one of the largest institutions hosting Mexican wolves in the world. 

Founded in 1977, the California Wolf Center is a non-profit organization located in Julian, California, offering educational programs to the public regarding the role of top predators in North American ecosystems. The Wolf Center is a major participant in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program and has established the Mexican Wolf Conservation Fund, the only private fund dedicated to assisting the Mexican Wolf Recovery program. Funds for the California Wolf Center’s facilities and participation in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program have come from a variety of contributors including foundations, corporate and other non-profit partners and individuals. 

For more information about the California Wolf Center please visit our website at www.californiawolfcenter.org. 

About California Wolf Center

The California Wolf Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the return of wild wolves to their natural habitat and to the people who share the landscape with them. We foster communities coming together to ensure wolves, livestock, and people thrive in today’s world. Learn more at californiawolfcenter.org

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Media Contact

Michelle Carroll, Director of Education and Volunteers