Today’s Solutions: September 26, 2023

The Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina happily welcomed the birth of a litter of wild red wolf pups, an indication that there is still hope for the endangered species.

Though US landscapes were once teeming with red wolves, the species suffered, as so many others have, because of hunting, habitat destruction, and encroachment.

In fact, in the 1980s the species was even considered “extinct in the wild,” as reported by NPR.

Thanks to the sustained efforts of captive breeding programs, the species was saved from the brink of extinction, and by 2012, there were 120 red wolves in the wild. Unfortunately, human activity led to another drastic decline in the species population. As of 2021, experts estimated that there were only 15 to 17 remaining in the wild, with no wild births recorded since 2018.

That is, until last week.

“During the week of April 18, Red Wolf Recovery Program Staff confirmed a litter of six wild red wolf pups (four female, two males) born to mother 2225 and father 2323 (to be confirmed through genetic testing),” wrote the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program in a post on their Facebook page.

“The new litter is the first wild-born litter of red wolves since 2018… Every generation yields a newborn hope for the red wolf… a cause for joy and celebration!” the Red Wolf Recovery Program added. 

Hopefully, through careful conservation, the red wolf population can be restored. For now, they are still considered endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Rhino conservation success: Global populations surge to 27,000

In an encouraging turn of events, the worldwide rhinoceros population has defied the odds and demonstrated astonishing indications of recovery. These magnificent species, which ...

Read More

How to deal with panic attacks: Understanding the calming effects of brainspo...

The overpowering drive to restore control during a panic episode can be all-consuming. Breathing exercises and other techniques can help, but brainspotting, which makes ...

Read More

US announces $3 billion electric vehicle battery production

We at The Optimist Daily are enormous electric vehicle fans, and we’re not the only ones. Demand for electric vehicles has risen so sharply ...

Read More

How to keep your garden snake-free

We decided to dust off this older story which offers some great solutions.  In many parts of the world, the summer is also snake ...

Read More