N.C. Zoo Announces Birth Of Five Endangered American Red Wolves

The North Carolina Zoo has announced the birth of five critically endangered American red wolves. 

The litter of new pups includes three males and two females, all healthy and doing well.

They're being kept in a quiet, non-public area of the zoo, allowing their mother to raise them in a natural habitat with the least amount of stress. 

The rare pups were named after plants found in North Carolina. The males are Oak, Cedar, and Sage, while the females have been named Lily and Aster.

According to a news release, there are currently 15 to 20 red wolves found in the wild, only in eastern North Carolina, making them the most endangered canid in the world.

They were driven to near-extinction in the 1960s, but a federal conservation effort has led to new ways to track and protect the species.

The North Carolina Zoo has successfully bred 34 wolves since the program began.