Wolf Puppies Make Brookfield Zoo Debut

Brookfield, IL - Three one-month-old Mexican gray wolf puppies have begun to venture from their den and into the public view at the Brookfield Zoo's Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat.

The zoo's Mexican gray wolf pack includes the three unnamed pups, their parents Zana and Flint, and their parents' first litter of four puppies, who are now one year old. The pack is the largest it has been since the endangered subspecies arrived at the zoo in 2003, according to the Chicago Zoological Society.

“The current pack at the zoo mimics those in the wild. Wolves have a very complex social structure, and we are excited that guests will be able to get a firsthand look at the interactions among all the animals,” said Joan Daniels, associate curator of mammals, in a statement.

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Zoo visitors may be able to see the four pups from Zana and Flint's first litter help the parents care for the young puppies. When the puppies are 6 to 8 weeks old and they're weened, the older litter may help to feed them regurgitated food. Visitors may also witness communication among the pack, including howls, yips, squeals, growls, facial expressions and body postures, along with playing and licking, according to CZS.

The three young wolves at the zoo also have two sibling puppies who were placed with a wild wolf pack in Arizona in an effort to help the species recover.

Mexican gray wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolves in North America, according to CZS. As of December 2015, a minimum of 97 Mexican gray wolves were living in the wild. In professional care, there are 243 Mexican gray wolves at 54 institutions.

Photos courtesy of the Chicago Zoological Society.