Next time you travel to the beach, make sure to check out the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo to see the it’s newest inhabitants: Jenkins and Walker, a pair of critically endangered American red wolves, and Mystique, a striking melanistic Amur leopard. The trio are part of two extremely rare and endangered species and represent some of the most important conservation work happening in zoos today.
Meet Jenkins and Walker, the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo’s new American red wolves
Although American red wolves once roamed the Southeastern United States in great numbers, the species was driven to near extinction by the mid-1950s and delcared extinct in the wild by 1980. Thanks to restoration efforts, a small but fragile population of less than 20 individuals remains in the wild—making the American red wolf one of the rarest canid species on Earth.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo welcomed Jenkins and Walker—two 2.5-year-old American red wolf brothers—on December 17 as part of the AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction American Red Wolf Program, a nationwide effort focued on preventing the species from disapearing entirely.
“The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is excited to play a contributing role in the conservation of the critically endangered red wolf. This exhibit will be different than our others. Guests may not see these wolves as often as other animals. This species is naturally timid, and it is important that we limit human interaction to allow the wolves to remain as wild as possible.”…