Baby Fever at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo; Press Conference about New Red Wolf Puppies and Humboldt Penguin Chicks
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is thrilled to announce that it recently welcomed new babies to the world: a litter of six red wolf puppies and two male Humboldt penguin chicks. The red wolf litter includes four females and two males born to parents Evie (mother) and Sage (father) at the Matthews Auto Group Red Wolf Preserve on 5/3/25. The Humboldt penguin chicks, named Domingo and Ramon, hatched in April to parents Peru (father) and Cuatro (mother) at the Penguin Coast habitat. To provide more details about these two major conservation accomplishments, Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon II hosted an informative press conference at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo on 5/22/25 at 11:00am
“Baby animals are always exciting, but these new arrivals represent hope for their respective species,” says McMahon. “The wild red wolf population is in dire straits, so every birth is crucial to their survival. Likewise, we are very excited about the Humboldt penguin chicks and look forward to introducing them to the public soon. These successful births and hatchings are a testament to the high-quality care provided to all the animal residents at the zoo by our team of trained animal care experts.”
With fewer than 20 red wolves in the wild, the birth of these pups is a monumental contribution to the survival of the red wolf population. As defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), red wolves are critically endangered, meaning that the species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. In fact, they are the most critically endangered canine species in the world.
As an institution accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is a proud participant in the Species Survival Plans (SSPs) for red wolves and Humboldt penguins. An SSP is a collaborative program designed to coordinate healthy breeding and management of a certain species. By carefully tracking the genetics and demographics of individual animals who live in human care at AZA zoos, SSP coordinators make breeding recommendations that will result in a sustainable, genetically diverse population. Because the wild population of red wolves has declined so sharply, the resulting offspring from the red wolf SSP might be viable candidates for reintroduction to the wild through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) intervention program.
Native to the Pacific coasts of Peru and Chile, Humboldt penguins are currently listed as vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN. This means that without human intervention, the species faces possible extinction. To date, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo has hatched over 50 Humboldt penguin chicks. This is a significant contribution to ongoing Humboldt penguin conservation efforts.
