SAM (M1784)

Family is of the utmost importance to wolves, something red wolf Sam (M1784) certainly feels quite strongly about. The eight-year-old who was transferred in 2017 to the WCC from the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, N.C., where he and his family made national headlines due to some…adventures…this past summer. Sam’s mate, Veronica (F1858), gave birth to a litter of four pups in the spring of 2017 and Sam immediately embraced his new role as a father. Keepers observed him continually bringing food to mate and the pups – he even brought the pups a rat when they were three weeks old! Be still, our beating hearts! However, Sam officially clinched the “Father of the Year” award when he stayed cool under the pressure of having all four of his pups escape their enclosure at the zoo. Rather than panic, as many fathers would do in his situation, Sam regurgitated food and fed it to the pups through the fence! The adventurous family was transferred to the WCC in the fall of 2017 because, due to the genetic value of couple’s offspring, the pair was chosen to breed again in 2018 and required a larger enclosure fit for a growing family. Making the move turned out to be a great idea because, on April 19, 2018, the couple welcomed their second litter - this time four boys and two girls! The family resides off exhibit but can be viewed via live webcams.