COLORADO SPRINGS – The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo announced the birth of a new member of the zoo’s wolf pack Tuesday.
The zoo announced that Mexican wolf Luna gave birth to a new pup last Friday morning, and the little one is doing well.
“It’s very squirmy and snuggly with Luna, and has already grown a lot since it was born on Friday, which is a good sign,” said Dina Bredahl, Rocky Mountain Wild animal manager. “It’s got a really cute full, round belly and dark fur. Mexican wolves grow up to have sandy, gray fur, but their pups are born with dark fur.”
The puppy was born to parents Luna and Navarro and was an only pup. The pup will join 1-year-old siblings Bluestem, Hope and Shadow, and brother Phoenix. Those pups were born last May.
The zoo said in a statement the pup’s birth is good news for the survival of the species and “it is possible that this pup could go on to help repopulate the species in the wild.”
The zoo said it had previously hosted breeding pairs but had no luck until Luna and Navarro had their first pups.
According to the zoo, there are only 131 Mexican wolves in the wild and only 300 in human care. The endangered species act listed the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies.
The pup is currently bonding with its mother in her den. However, zoo guests will be able to see Luna and the new baby via a video feed provided by a camera inside the den.
