Two Zoo Wolf Pups Released to the Wild, Three Stay in Brookfield

Brookfield, IL - Two of five Mexican gray wolves born April 25 at the Brookfield Zoo have been placed with a wild wolf pack that will foster them in Arizona.

The other three puppies are being cared for by their pack in a den at the zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat, according to the Chicago Zoological Society.

The zoo's staff said guests may be able to see the pups in a few weeks, when they emerge from the den. This is the second litter born to 4-year-old Zana and 6-year-old Flint.

The two pups that have left their native litter, Blaze and Brooke, were placed in the Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves in Arizona, where the pack will foster them with its own litter, according to the Chicago Zoological Society.

The technique involves moving young pups from one litter to another of a similar age, and the receiving pack raises the wolf puppies as their own. This process works in Mexican gray wolves and in other wildlife, the society reports.

Chicago Zoological Society animal care staff flew with Blaze and Brooke on April 30 to Arizona, where they met with biologists from the Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team. The pups were placed in a den with an alpha female wolf who had her own young litter.

“We are extremely proud to be able to contribute to this important conservation effort for the Mexican gray wolf population,” said Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society, in a statement. “The collaboration with [U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service] and the other participating organizations is a real team effort and demonstrates the dedication of all parties to make this a successful program while also raising awareness for this highly endangered and iconic North American species.”

Blaze and Brooke's successful fostering is only the second time the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program has placed pups born in professional care with an established wild pack, according to the society.

The three puppies that stayed at the Brookfield Zoo join the zoo pack that includes Zara, Flint and the four 1-year-old wolves from the parents' first litter. The yearling pups will help raise the newborns.

Mexican gray wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolves in North America, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. They landed on the Endangered Species List in 1967.

At least 97 Mexican gray wolves were living in the wild as of December 2015, and in professional care, there are 243 individuals in 54 institutions.

The Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program is a collaboration of 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 and private organizations.

Photos above and below: 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.

Photo below: Blaze rests prior to his trip across country. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society

Photo below: Brooke receives a neonatal examination from Chicago Zoological Society veterinary staff prior to her departure to Arizona. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

Photo below: Blaze (left) and Brooke (right) sleep while in transit to Arizona. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.

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

Photo below: A biologist with the Interagency Field Team uses radio telemetry to locate the den site of the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack. Photo credit: Interagency Field Team.

Photo below: 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 the two Mexican gray wolf puppies with their new wild pack. Photo credit: Chicago Zoological Society.