The red wolves at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, once local celebrities of sorts, are set to pack up and move to New York, as part of a conservation effort to ensure the survival of the species, touted as the most endangered wolves on the planet. CBS 17 reports that the museum in Durham is sending a family of seven red wolves—two adults and five pups—to the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, where the endangered canines will benefit from an increased habitat size, allowing them to potentially expand their family.

Sherry Samuels, the museum's Senior Director of Animal Care, emphasized the criticality of the move in a statement obtained by ABC11, describing it as "bittersweet" but also noting the potential for the wolf family, consisting of first-time parents Adeyha and Oak and their five pups Juniper, Cedar, Sassafras, Maple and Tupelo, this move won't just benefit the wolves but also the collective efforts to keep the species away from the brink of extinction the genetic diversity they contribute is viewed as vital for the continued breeding programs.

In the midst of this relocation, already less than 20 red wolves are estimated to remain in the wild, with North Carolina being their sole wild home. The Red Wolf Recovery Program, experts collaborating to safeguard these canids, has endorsed the move as part of a wider conservation strategy. Samuels told WRAL that breeding Oak and Adeyha again next year is in the cards, making the genetic advantage the pair possesses instrumental for the program's success.