Earlier this spring, the St. Louis Zoo saw a huge boost to an endangered species.

Currently, American Red Wolves are the most endangered wolf species and these wolves are the rarest large carnivore in the United States. These animals have a dangerously small population count and there are only 20 currently left in the wild. The only one area where you can find Red Wolves is on the coast of North Carolina, according to the Endangered Wolf Center.

These animals are the only large carnivore that are strictly native to the United States.

Red Wolves are smaller than the gray wolf and slightly larger than a coyote. Their appearance comes with reddish fur that is often found around the head, ears, and legs.

Adding to the Population

The St Louis Zoo has helped add to American Red Wolf population as 4 pups have been recently born in their care. Back in April, a female pup named Otter was born from parents Lava (8 years old) and Tyke (9 years old).

That birth was followed by a litter of three pups in May. They were given the names Molly, Finn, and Obi. They were born from parents Ladybird (3 years old) and Wilber (8 years old).

As of Monday (July 8), Otter, Molly, Finn, and Obi are healthy and thriving. According to WJTV, all 4 pups were born at the zoo's Sears Lehmann Jr. Wildlife Reserve, which is located about 40 miles southwest of the St Louis Zoo.

Sorry Humans

Any zoo visitor will be disappointed in hopes of seeing one of the rarest animals in the world. The pups will not be made available to the public. The hopes for these animals is to one day release them into the wild. Zoo officials want these animals to learn natural wolf behaviors and survival skills, with as little human interaction as possible.

The pups will stay with their parents for at least 2 years and then they may be sent to the American Red Wolf Savings Animals From Extinction Program to form their own packs. It's possible they could also be released into the wild through the Fish and Wildlife Service.

According to WJTV, Red Wolves were declared extinct in the wild back in 1980. At one point, there were only 14 left in the world. The remaining 14 were captured and shortly after, a breeding program began. American Red Wolves are the first animal successfully reintroduced into the wild after being declared extinct.