Wolf Pups Born at South Salem Conservation Center

Cuteness alert: the video you're about to watch will make you smile.

Eight new wolf pups—five boys and three girls—were born to one of the four breeding pairs of Mexican gray wolves last weekend at the  in South Salem.

But these pups are not only adorable, they’re also contributing to the recovery of their species.

"There are approximately 400 Mexican gray wolves in the world making it one of the rarest mammals in North America, so the birth of the pups is a significant contribution to efforts to sustain the species," said Maggie Howell, managing director at the center.

"Mexican wolves M740 and F749 (the parents) also happen to be a vital pair with the lowest inbreeding coefficient in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan. Everyone involved with the recovery of this species have been crossing their fingers that this pair would prove fruitful."

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If you'd like to see them, check out the video clip posted with this story or visit the den cam on the WCC website. Because wolves in the wild are naturally afraid of people, the center's staff ensures the wolves have little human contact, which ensures they'll have a better chance at being released into the wild.

The pups, part of a federally run species recovery program, will be assigned alpha numeric names in the near future.

"Wild wolves and wolves associated with a recovery program are often identified with alphanumeric names," said Howell. "These two kinds of wolves are given an identification number recorded in an official studbook that tracks their history."

Howell said that capital letters (M = Male, F = Female) preceding the number indicate adult animals 24 months or older. Lower case letters (m = male, f = female) indicate wolves younger than 24 months or pups.  The capital letter “A” preceding the letter and number indicate breeding wolves.

Now almost four days old, the pups are in good health. All wolf pups are blind and deaf at birth, according to the WCC, but they start to hear and see at about 10 days old.

To plan a visit to the WCC, click here. Upcoming events include the center's annual gala on June 14, featuring a recital at the , given by WCC Founder pianist Hélène Grimaud and cellist Jan Vogler.