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Update courtesy Patrick C. Valentino of the Julian Wolf Preserve
Wolf pair #189 and #190 at Sevilleta-the USFWS conditioning facility, produced four (4) pups on April 6th and all appear to be doing well. The pair was scheduled to be transferred to an acclimation pen on April 3rd, but heavy snow delayed the attempt.
Wolf #511, who was released last year, brought back in after she dispersed, is with her mate at Sevilleta, but hasn't had pups yet.
USFWS decided to delay moving pairs to the wild given the advanced state of pregnancy.
The Gavilan Pack in an acclimation pen near Coalson Peak in the Apache Forest produced five (5) pups. USFWS Wolf Biologist Colleen Buchanan discovered the pups on April 14th. The pups appeared to be a week old when discovered.
Pregnancy has not been confirmed in the Hawks Nest Pack being held in the Campbell Blue pen, because biologists do not want to disturb the pair. If the pair does have pups they will be allowed to whelp in their pen. Their release would be timed with elk calving season in the area.
Free ranging wolves: The Campbell Blue pack released last December have localized their activities within a five (5) square mile area indicating they may be tending a den site in the area. The Pipestem Pack, released from the Turkey Creek pen on March 15 continues to frequent an area several miles to the north and west of their release site. Until the pair localizes to an area, denning activities will be difficult to determine-note, however, localization does not guarantee pups.
Of course the survival of wild born pups is key to the project's sucess.