First Red Wolf Pups Born in the Wild Since 2018 in North Carolina

6 Week Old Red Wolf Puppy (Canis rufus)

Mark Kostich/Getty Images

Look at these adorable little beans. They are so precious. In the coastal region of North Carolina, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reported the birth of six red wolf pups this month, a remarkable achievement for an endangered species.

According to the program's Facebook post, the litter consists of four females and two males found during the week of April 18. Organizers of the program believe the pups were born to a mother and father identified by the numbers 2225 and 2323, respectively. To make sure, they will perform a genetic test based on a cheek swab from one of the puppies. A litter of red wolves has been born in the wild for the first time since 2018. Red wolves are considered endangered by the IUCN.

The only wild red wolf population in North Carolina is located in five counties: Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington. The Species Survival Plan, which uses captive breeding to increase the population of red wolves with the intention of releasing them into the wild, includes 241 wolves. Microchips were implanted in each pup at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, so they could be identified later.

An interesting fact that you may not know is that Charlotte is actually the largest city in the country that doesn't have a zoo. And there is very little chance we will ever get a true one. But don't let that get you down, there are plenty of places you can visit with all types of animals in the Charlotte area. The biggest reason we will most likely never get a true zoo is that we are just 1.5 hours from both the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.

Both of those zoos make our list and while both are large zoos, they offer different animals. For instance, you can see polar bears in North Carolina and Koalas in South Carolina. Is marine life more of your interest? Don't worry we've got a couple of options for you as well. Other animals include bison, alpacas, farm animals, all sorts of birds, goats are more.

All of the places on this list are a short drive from Charlotte. Most are very affordable to visit so a great family trip as the weather gets warmer. I love animals but I'm not a huge fan of encountering them unexpectedly, so this type of thing is right up my alley. I can't wait to add several of these to my summer bucket list. Where is your favorite place to visit animals in the Charlotte area? Let us know on social media!

North Carolina Zoo

Location: Asheboro, NC

Ticket Prices: Adults $15, Senior $13, Child $11

Animals: Lions, elephants, polar bears, giraffes, black bears, and more1

First Red Wolf Pups Born in the Wild Since 2018 in North Carolina

Look at these adorable little beans. They are so precious. In the coastal region of North Carolina, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reported the birth of six red wolf…

Alexis Zarycki

North Carolina Zoo

Discovery Place

Cotton Bean Farms

Carolina Raptor Center

Good Karma Ranch

Tiger World

Sealife Aquarium

Dallas Lavender Lane

Zootastic Park

Tatanka Bison Ranch

Riverbanks Zoo

Darby Acres Farm

Sweetwater Farms

Lazy 5 Ranch

The Farm at The Schiele Museum

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