Rescuers fly Red Wolf from North Carolina to New York

Pilots to the Rescue flew a precious passenger to her new home in September.

On September 19, the associationwhich helps shelters and shelters transport at-risk animals to new homes, in partnership with the wolf conservation center (WCC) to South Salem, New York, to transport a red wolf named Sage.

The species survival plan in place for red wolves has identified Sage, a captive red wolf formerly residing in North Carolina, as an excellent potential breeding partner for male red wolf Jaques from the Wolf Conservation Center.

“Each year, all participating SSP (Species Survival Plan) facilities meet at an annual meeting, usually in July. One of the main tasks of this meeting is to create breeding pairs for the following season with the aim of new pups supporting the captive and wild populations. We have a male at WCC (M2152, ‘Jacques’) who is genetically valuable and needs to be matched to breed. F2061 ‘Sage’ has been identified as a good genetic match. So he has It was decided that she would be moved from North Carolina to New York to mate and breed with M2152,” Rebecca Bose, curator at WCC, told PEOPLE of the need for Sage’s move.

WCC is dedicated to the conservation of the world’s wolf species; Unfortunately, the red wolf is one of the species that needs its help the most. According to the WCC, there are 10 known red wolves in the wild and around 19-20 in total.

“She is a genetically valuable female. Their offspring will increase the captive population and possibly support the wild population. In addition, their offspring will also contribute to the genetic health of the captive population. There were 14 red wolves left on the planet. current population comes from these 14 individuals. Breeding genetically valuable animals is vital to the health of the red wolf population,” Bose said, explaining why Sage’s move to the WCC is critical.

To help make Sage’s move more manageable, Pilots to the Rescue volunteered to ferry Sage from North Carolina to New York.

“We love working with Pilots to the Rescue. They understand the needs of these animals and always make them a priority,” Bose said of the WCC’s partnership with Pilots to the Rescue, adding that Pilots to the Rescue helped. left to accompany Sage on the flight.

Bose watched over Sage throughout the trip and said the wolf got on “beautifully” on the flawless flight.

Sage is now safely inside the COE, adjusting to his new surroundings before joining a compound with Jaques.

“She is adjusting well to her new enclosure, her mate and her surroundings. She thrives on exposure. For the first two weeks she will remain separate from the male, sharing a common fence line so they can learn to get to know each other. Soon the doors will be open and they will be allowed to be together,” Bose said.

To learn more about the wolf conservation center and rescue pilotse, visit the websites of the organizations.