An endangered red wolf that gave birth to 14 pups during her lifetime died last month in North Carolina, wildlife officials said.
The “matriarch,” known as 1849F to wildlife officials, was 12 years old and died of natural causes, the Red Wolf Recovery Program wrote in a Facebook post. She had three litters and lived in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge near the North Carolina coast, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported.
“She would have likely had more litters in her almost 13 years of life in the wild, which is impressive in and of itself, but sadly her mate for life died several years ago,” the Red Wolf Recovery Program wrote on Facebook.
Officials lauded the animal for her ability to catch rodents in the field, even when she was missing teeth during the final years of her life.
Then in 2020, the wolf played a major role in helping the species to survive, the News & Observer reported. Officials said the matriarch accepted a new male wolf that was brought to the area from the St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in the Florida Panhandle.
Her acceptance of the male wolf enabled him to mate with one of the matriarch’s daughters, according to the newspaper.
“Her role in helping to keep the species alive in the wild will not be forgotten,” officials wrote on Facebook.