Help Name Mexican Gray Wolf Puppies

Submitted by the Chicago Zoological Society.

Brookfield, IL — Three of the five Mexican gray wolf puppies born at Brookfield Zoo on April 25 are still in need of names.

The Chicago Zoological Society, which manages the zoo, has narrowed the list and is now asking the public for its help by voting for the final choices.

• See also: Wolf Puppies Make Brookfield Zoo Debut

The other two puppies, named Blaze and Brooke, were placed with the Elk Horn Pack in Arizona as part of a recovery program for the species.

Animal Programs staff have chosen potential names, including ones that have some connection with the region that encompasses the species’ natural habitat in the southwestern United States, the Spanish or Apache languages, and a CZS staff member. Those wishing to help in the final selections can cast votes for their favorites on the zoo’s Web site at CZS.org/WolfNames.

The choices for male puppy #1469 are:

• Pablo (named after John Pauley, a senior veterinary technician for the Society who accompanied the two puppies from the zoo litter to Arizona for release to the wild)
• Rio (which means river in Spanish)
• Mogollon, pronounced mo-go-YOWN (a mountain range in the Gila Wilderness, which is a release site for Mexican gray wolves and also a Native American tribe from the area)
• Graham (a county in Arizona where wolves are released as part of the recovery program)

The choices for male puppy #1470 are:

• Coronado (the name given to a released wolf pack that included Ernesta, a female wolf that lived at Brookfield Zoo from 2010-2012)
• Emory (named after Emory Pass in the Gila Wilderness, which is a release site for the species)
• Reed (named after Reed’s Peak in the Gila National Forest, which is a release site for the species)
• Azul (which means blue in Spanish and signifies the Blue Range Mountains in the wolves’ Arizona release site)

The choices for female puppy #1468 are:

• Greenlee (a county in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest where the Elk Horn Pack lives)
• Ela (which means Earth in Apache)
• Bailey (part of the Latin name of Mexican gray wolves: Canis lupus baileyi)
• Escudilla, pronounced Es-coo-DEE-yah (the name of the mountain where the Elk Horn Pack’s den is located)

Voting will take place until July 11, at 5 p.m. CST. The names with the most votes for each of the three puppies will be announced on Tuesday, July 12.

The public is encouraged to visit the Mexican gray wolf family during regular zoo hours. The puppies are growing fast and can be seen playing and exploring their habitat at Regenstein Wolf Woods. At 8 weeks old, they are almost weaned from their mother, Zana, and are spending more time with their father and four older siblings. Animal care specialists have been providing the puppies with whole prey items. In addition, both parents and other members of the pack are regurgitating and provisioning meat for the puppies.

Those interested in helping to provide the highest-quality diet and expert care for the Mexican gray wolf pack can participate in the Society’s Share the Care program. For a $35 donation, you or a recipient will receive a 5 x 7 color photo of the three wolf puppies, a personalized adoption certificate, a species fact sheet, a Share the Care decal, and an invitation to the exclusive Share the Care Evening in 2016 (ticket purchase required). To adopt the wolf family and for further information, visit CZS.org/SharetheCare.