Disappointed: Pup Died 13 Days After Being Born on Easter; It Was the First Born at Wolf Haven Since 2007
By Kyle Spurr
Optimism spread around Wolf Haven International in Tenino last spring when a red wolf pup, one of the country’s most endangered species, was born on Easter Sunday.
The pup was the first born at Wolf Haven since a litter of Mexican gray wolves were born in 2007. However, nearly two weeks later, Wolf Haven staff learned the pup had died.
Wolf Haven announced the death in its current summer issue of “Wolf Tracks,” a magazine for Wolf Haven members.
“This was the first (pup) mortality that we know of,” Wendy Spencer, director of animal care, said Wednesday afternoon.
Spencer said it is possible other pups have died over the years, but staff usually does not see the pups until they emerge from a den about five weeks after birth. The staff checks the enclosures, but not the dens that the wolves dig to give birth for safety reasons.
The only reason Wolf Haven knew about the red wolf pup was because the mother, Tamaska, moved it back-and-forth from a nine-foot-long den to a shelter that had a video camera nearby.
“There is no sign of the pup (in the enclosure),” Spencer said. “And you can’t get in the den. This particular den has a tunnel that is about nine feet long and takes a sharp turn to the right. To send a person down there is not safe.”
All wolf pups are extremely fragile and have about a 50 percent mortality rate, according to Wolf Haven.
Spencer suspects the pup was born with a pre-existing condition, or caught an infection or virus. Another possibility is the 8-year-old mother’s milk had dried up. No evidence suggests the parents consumed or buried the pup.
Staff planned on handling the pup, and learning its gender at six weeks old. It died at 13 days.
“We were disappointed. But the most important thing is they got to go through this without human intervention and that is what we want for these animals,” Spencer said.
Wolf Haven still has five red wolves. The pup was born to 8-year-old Tamaska and 9-year-old Jacob. The pair have been together for the past four breeding seasons, and the pup was their first.
The Red Wolf Recovery Program, hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approved Tamaska and Jacob in July for breeding next year, although Spencer said it is a long shot.
Typically, a litter size is four to six pups, Spencer said. With both parents being older, only one pup was born and the likelihood of another is slim.
Another pair, Ruby and Tala, and a third female, Talulah, are also living at Wolf Haven.
In 2003, Wolf Haven was approved as a captive breeding facility for red wolves. In the past decade, Wolf Haven has hosted about 12 red wolves. Many come from Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, which partners with Wolf Haven.
The last red wolf litter at Wolf Haven was in 2006, Spencer said. The two red wolf pups in the litter were transferred to Point Defiance.
Red wolves, native to the eastern and south central United States, became an endangered species in 1967 after the population was decimated from intensive predator control programs and alterations to habitat, according to the USFWS.
More than 100 red wolves currently roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina, the USFWS said, and nearly 200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States, including Wolf Haven.
“We are committed to (the Red Wolf Recovery Program) and are a dedicated partner,” Spencer said. “It’s such an important thing to be a part of.”
Wolf Haven has rescued more than 180 animals since it was formed 31 years ago.
The sanctuary currently houses 52 wolves. It has 12 Mexican gray wolves, five red wolves, two coyotes, some wolf/dog hybrids and the rest are gray wolves.
Red wolves are smaller than gray wolves and grow to about 50 to 70 pounds.
All the red wolves alive today are related to the last 14 saved in the late 1960s.
“It doesn’t all hinge on the survival of that one pup, but every individual animal is valued,” Spencer said. “The goal is to maintain a diverse population that maintains its own behavior as much as possible.”