First rare breed wolf pups born at Yorkshire Wildlife Park

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is celebrating the arrival of five rare breed wolf pups.

The litter of maned wolves is the first of its kind to be born at the Doncaster park as part of a breeding programme.

The four males and one female, which haven't been named yet, are said to be 'thriving' and delighting visitors as they start to explore the Atlantic Forest reserve.

Dad Axenus, 5, who came to the park in 2021, and mum Ibera,3, who has been at the park since 2020, welcomed their new arrivals in November.

Aquatics Team Leader Kelsie Wood said: ”The birth of the five pups is very exciting.

"This is the first litter of Maned Wolves for the parents after Ibera and Axenus were brought to the park as part of the breeding programme.

They are definitely a great match so the breeding has been very successful and five pups is just an amazing result.”

Maned Wolves are classified as near threatened due to habitat loss. They are native to South America and a distinct species as they resemble both a wolf and fox.

"When Maned Wolf pups are first born they are absolutely tiny and are fully black except for a white tip on their tails.

"As they grow up the red tinge in the fur begins to appear. As they are active animals at dawn and dusk the orange haze would be used as camouflage in the wild.

“The vets gave them a full health check and also established there are four boys and one girl in the litter. They are all really thriving with no issues at all," Kelsie Wood added.

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