Three critically endangered Mexican Gray Wolves are now living at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, courtesy of the California Wolf Center located just outside Julian, officials announced Tuesday.
The CWC transferred the wolves as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Saving Animals From Extinction program.
Mexican gray wolves — or lobos — are among the rarest land mammals on Earth. In the 1970s, there were only 13 remaining in the wild. Their population has now grown to at least 257, according to a statement from the center. The three wolves were born at CWC in 2019-20.
"We had a pack of wolves with mom, dad and seven boys, and there was starting to be some tension among the brothers," said Ciera MacIsaac, wolf care and reintroduction coordinator at the center. "In the wild, young males at this age become more independent and start the process of 'dispersal,' where they leave their mothers to start their own pack.
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"With the opening of a wonderful new habitat at the Brookfield Zoo, the three wolves will now be able to imitate the natural process of dispersal and our remaining wolves will have a little more elbow room," MacIsaac said.
The CWC is one of the largest AZA SAFE Mexican gray wolf facilities in the country and has been a key player in binational efforts to save the subspecies from extinction for more than 27 years, officials said.
A team of veterinary professionals from Wild Ride Animal Transport escorted the animals to Chicago. They arrived Saturday and are currently getting settled into their new habitat, the statement from the center read.
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Brookfield Zoo has two habitats for Mexican gray wolves. The three males from the CWC will reside in their own habitat, separate from another pack, which were selected to breed this year in the hope they may be able to cross-breed pups into the wild.
The CWC is now home to 20 Mexican gray wolves and four Northwestern gray wolves. Tours are available by reservations only. Several of the wolves are exhibited for educational purposes, while those who are part of the reintroduction program need to have limited human contact to ensure their success in the wild.
"We always strive to give our wolves in captivity a life as natural and true-to-wild as possible and being able to disperse is a key part of that experience," CWC Executive Director Theresa Kosen said. "Our partnerships with other participating institutions within the AZA SAFE program are invaluable as we work together toward the mission of wolf recovery."
According to the center, transfers are common between AZA SAFE captive breeding sites as they aim to increase genetic diversity. The CWC's oldest wolf, Bailey, who is turning an extraordinary 16 years old this month, was born at the Wolf Conservation Center in New York in 2008, before being transferred to the CWC in 2015 per a breeding recommendation under the AZA SAFE program.
As the father of 27 pups, Bailey has been instrumental in helping his critically endangered species recover and thrive. Lobos typically live between 6 and 8 years in the wild.
