A male Mexican wolf pup at Brookfield Zoo has been named Ahote (pronounced Ah-ho-teh), which is of Native American Hopi origin and means “restless one.” He can be seen at the Zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat along with his parents—Vivilette and Amigo—and Joe Jr., his 1-year-old brother. Ahote was one of seven pups born at the Zoo on April 27. His six siblings were transferred in early May to be fostered by wild Mexican wolf packs in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican Wolf Recovery Program to enhance the genetic diversity of the overall population of the species. It is possible that Ahote may one day also be released to the wild or paired with a female at one of the other facilities that participates in the Program. Mexican wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolves in North America and were added to the Endangered Species List by the USFWS in May of 1976. Brookfield Zoo has been a proud participant in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program since 2003. For those interested in helping care for the Mexican wolf pack at Brookfield Zoo, you can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. To purchase, visit www.CZS.org/AnimalAdoption.

Photo Caption 1): Ahote, a 2-month-old Mexican wolf pup, with his mother, Vivilette, can be seen at Brookfield Zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat. Photo Credit: Brookfield Zoo
Photo Caption 2): Ahote, a 2-month-old Mexican wolf pup at Brookfield Zoo, with Joe Jr., his 1-year-old brother. Photo Credit: Brookfield Zoo