The North Carolina Zoo has announced the birth of five American red wolves.
The animals are critically endangered. There are only 15 to 20 red wolves still believed to be in the wild in eastern North Carolina.
The zoo in Asheboro announced the births in a statement on Friday. The five pups were born as part of its American red wolf breeding program.
The three males and two females were born April 21. They and their mother are all healthy.
The pups were named after plants found in North Carolina. The males are Oak (Appalachian Oak), Cedar (Red Cedar) and Sage (Azure Sage). The females are Lily (Carolina Lily, the state's wildflower) and Aster (Piedmont Aster).
The parents of the pups are mother Piglet and father Jewell.
This litter is the first for the pair. And it brings the number of red wolves in the Zoo's breeding program to 25. That makes it the second-largest pack in the nation after Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington.
