Evansville zoo adds pair of mexican gray wolves

Staffers at Evansville's zoo are hoping that its new pair of endangered Mexican gray wolves will be good parents as they try to help the species thrive again. The adult male and female arrived Tuesday at Mesker Park Zoo after a flight from a federal wolf management center in New Mexico, the Evansville Courier & Press (http://bit.ly/T12tqP ) reported. Zoo officials say the species has become endangered because of livestock practices and shootings and that fewer than 300 remain in captivity. Plans are for the two wolves to breed at the Evansville zoo and be foster parents for pups rescued from the wild, said Mesker animal curator Susan Lindsey. The pair had pups in 2010 and 2011. "This pair of experienced parents will make a significant contribution to the recovery efforts," said Lindsey, an adviser to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mexican gray wolf recovery program...more