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Wolves born at Brookfield Zoo released into wild of Arizona

In this April 30, 2016, photo provided by the Chicago Zoological Society, CZS veterinary and animal care staff perform neonatal examinations on Blaze and Brooke, two 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf pups prior to their departure from Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Ill. As part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program, the pups were flown to be placed in the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster them with its own litter. (Chicago Zoological Society via AP) In this April 30, 2016, photo provided by the Chicago Zoological Society, CZS veterinary and animal care staff perform neonatal examinations on Blaze and Brooke, two 5-day-old Mexican gray wolf pups prior to their departure from Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Ill. As part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program, the pups were flown to be placed in the Arizona-based Elk Horn Pack of wild wolves, which will foster them with its own litter. (Chicago Zoological Society via AP)

By Associated Press May 11, 2016 1 min read

BROOKFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Two Mexican gray wolf pups born at the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago are starting new lives in the wild of Arizona as part of a project to save the animals.

A news release from the zoo says the pups were born there last month and flown to Arizona. They were then placed in a den of wild wolves where pups had recently been born – something that increases the chances they will be accepted by the wild wolves.

Brookfield Zoo officials say there are only 97 such wolves in the wild and it is important to add new ones to improve the genetic diversity of the wild wolf population. The effort marks the second time wolves from the zoo have been released to a wild wolf den.