100th Mexican wolf pup fostered into the wild

May 2, 2024

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Partners in Mexican wolf recovery have fostered the 100th pup into the wild, marking a major milestone for the program.

A Mexican wolf pup is held up during a health examination by a veterinarian.

The 100th pup and two of its siblings were fostered from the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park in Carlsbad, N.M. into a wild den in Arizona on Thursday, April 25, 2024.

This event kicked off the 9th year of Mexican wolf fostering. Fostering is a proven method used by the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team to increase genetic diversity in the wild Mexican wolf population.

Allison Greenleaf, biologist with the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, was at both the first Mexican wolf fostering in 2014 and the 100th this year. "It's pretty neat to be a part of this major moment," said Greenleaf.

Biologists mix pups together at a Mexican wolf foster event.

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The pups were fostered into a pack where the breeding male is a foster. Overall, fostering has proven successful, with a minimum of 18 pups surviving to two years of age (from 83 fosters released between 2016 and 2022). The 2022 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan calls for 22 released wolves to survive to breeding age to achieve recovery.