The Virginian-Pilot
©
MANTEO, N.C.
Sometimes being a good mother requires acceptance. But even if you're a red wolf, it's got to be strange to come back home to twice the number of babies you just left.
"It's one of those things - you wonder what goes through their heads," said Art Beyer, a biologist at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
Beyer said the two captive-bred pups that they sneaked into the den of a wild red wolf mother last month seem to have been accepted as her own. It helped that the female already had two pups about the same age.
The baby red wolves were part of a litter of five or six born just over three weeks ago at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The pups were carried out to the den in Tyrrell County and placed inside while the mother hid nearby. The biologists then quickly left.
"It's kind of in mom's hands at this point," Beyer said. "But it's worked so well in the past, there's no reason to think it won't this time."
Thirty years ago, red wolves had been declared extinct in the wild. Seven years later, four pairs of captive wolves were first released in Alligator River.
Today, about 100 red wolves roam 1.7 million acres of the recovery area in Hyde, Dare, Tyrrell, Washington and Beaufort counties, Beyer said. Only two packs of five or so adults and their young inhabit Alligator River.
Wolf experts have said the Alligator River project has served as a model for wolf recovery programs throughout the country, including programs in Yellowstone and the northern Rockies.
Red wolves are brown with touches of red behind their ears. Weighing about 55 to 85 pounds, the shy animals live about 10 years.
It's to the advantage of the species in the wild to mix with the gene pool of the 200 or so captive red wolves, Beyer said. At the same time, it keeps down the captive zoo populations.
Biologists keep track of about 80 of the wild red wolves with tattoos and radio collars. Before the year is out, they could come across the two transplanted pups as teenagers.
"Hopefully," Beyer said, "we'll see them next winter."
Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com
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really tired of idiots
I would gladly sacrifice a thousand redneck racist yahoos flying confederate flags and driving drunk on the beach for a single bird. If you have any guts, why don't you drive up to southeast DC and fly those flags? I don't have much love for peta, but even less for these kinds of lowlifes.
by the way Mr assumer...
If you drive on the beach drunk and get caught, which more than likely that you would, it is a Federal offense and you go to Federal court! Dare County already has about 7-8% of all the DUI conviction in a state with 100 counties! So sir, just keep on assuming there bud!
Your assuming alot!
Your saying that if someone enjoys hunting and/or fishing and/or drinving on the beach that automaticly makes them a redneck that flies a confederate flag?? Your joking right?? I enjoy hunting and fishing with my kids, don`t drink at all, don`t fly any flag, drive a nonalterated 4wd and always under the speed limit on the beach, unless it`s soft and have to, so that classifies me as a redneck?? So sir, what are your qualifications to make that determination? Remember when assume you make an "ass" out of "u" and...well just you!
Bunch of enviromental whackos!!
You peta people never surprise me! Ask the people in East Lake and Manns Harborwhat they think about your red wolves! I personaly have seen them in trash cans. They have killed many pets! Do the pets have a right to live under your argument? Yes I am a hunter, now let me tell you what has been a great success without spending millions of $ like the red wolves! Wild turkey, quial, some species of ducks. Or how about the national park service that goes out and kill hundreds of deer by helicopter and leave them where they fall? Or when the NPS puts a handful of birds ahead of people and violate the written agreement with the residents by doing so??
There are only 100 red
There are only 100 red wolves and they roam 1.7 million acres of land, and you have seen them in trash cans?
Yes I have!
Me and a friend were headed to Raleigh one morning before daylight. We slowed right down to watch them. There was no problem identifing what they were! I have seen them many times before, in thier pens and in the wild!
You were on your way driving
You were on your way driving and slowed down to watch them in trash cans?
Yes!
They had knocked it down in the road, I slowed down because I thought they were dogs, we had a very good look at them before they ran off.
Maybe
He was confusing Red Wolf with Red Foxx? You know, Sanford?
The reason
The reason the park service would have to kill any deer is because all natural predators (i.e. red wolf)have been remove. And if you don't know how to secure a trash can go ask the ace hardware man he'll be glad to explain it to ya.