Very Precious Pups - a photo on Flickriver

Very Precious Pups

Red Wolf pups learning about the world around them in the captive breeding program at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, WA, which is working hard to bring this species back from the brink of extinction. From their website, and Wikipedia: "The red wolf had nearly vanished from the wild in the 1970s, reduced to just 14 animals. But thanks to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and other groups, this all-American animal has been brought back from the brink of extinction. By 1980, there were just 14 pure wolves in the wild, due to predator control and coyote interbreeding. These were brought to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), managed by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Today more than 40 approved facilities work together as part of the Red Wolf SSP to ensure red wolf survival. The zoo population has grown to about 256 wolves, but wild populations are still facing big challenges....

Since 1987, red wolves have been released into northeastern North Carolina, where they roam 1.7 million acres. These lands span five counties (Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington, and Beaufort) and include three national wildlife refuges, a U.S. Air Force bombing range, and private land. The red wolf recovery program is unique for a large carnivore reintroduction in that more than half of the land used for reintroduction lies on private property. Approximately 680,000 acres (2,800 km2) are federal and state lands, and 1,002,000 acres (4,050 km2) are private lands.

Beginning in 1991, red wolves were also released into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee.[90] However, due to exposure to environmental disease (parvovirus), parasites, and competition (with coyotes as well as intraspecific aggression), the red wolf was unable to successfully establish a wild population in the park. Low prey density was also a problem, forcing the wolves to leave the park boundaries in pursuit of food in lower elevations. In 1998, the FWS took away the remaining red wolves in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, relocating them to Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. Other red wolves have been released on the coastal islands in Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina as part of the captive breeding management plan. St. Vincent Island in Florida is currently the only active island propagation site.

For more info, and to help, please see:
www.pdza.org/care/help-red-wolves/

Taken in: United States / Washington / Fort Nisqually (show map)

Taken on: August 22, 2019

Tags:

A7rii

Alpha

Canis lupus

Canis lupus rufus

E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS

E-mount

ILCE-7RM2

Pacific northwest

Point Defiance Zoo

Red Wolf

Red Wolf Conservation Center

Sony

Tacoma

Washington

canid

full frame

mirrorless

portrait

wildlife

wolf

zoo « less

Sets appears in: • Pacific Northwest • Sony A7r mkII more » • Critters « less

Camera: Sony ILCE-7RM2, f/6.3, 1/320 sec, 210mm (=315mm), ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony ILCE-7RM2
Lens:	E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	210mm (35mm equivalent: 315mm)
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	-0.7 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Shutter speed priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Contrast:	Low
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 9.4 (Macintosh)
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