Brookfield, Ill. — A male Mexican wolf pup at Brookfield Zoo has been named Ahote (pronounced Ah-ho-teh), which is of Native American Hopi origin and means “restless one.” He can be seen at the Zoo’s Regenstein Wolf Woods habitat along with his parents—Vivilette and Amigo—and Joe Jr., his 1-year-old brother.

Ahote was one of seven pups born at the Zoo on April 27. His six siblings were transferred in early May to be fostered by wild Mexican wolf packs in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Mexican Wolf Recovery Program to enhance the genetic diversity of the overall population of the species. It is possible that Ahote may one day also be released to the wild or paired with a female at one of the other facilities that participates in the Program.

The young pup ventured out of the den at around 3 weeks old and is currently going through the weaning process. He has been exploring his environment and interacting and playing with the rest of the pack.

Mexican wolves are the rarest subspecies of gray wolves in North America and were added to the Endangered Species List by the USFWS in May of 1976. Brookfield Zoo has been a proud participant in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program since 2003. According to the Interagency Field Team that conducted both ground and aerial counts this past winter, the 2022 population estimate represents a 23 percent increase from the minimum of 196 wolves in 2021. This marks the seventh consecutive year of population growth and a more than doubling in size since 2017. The population is distributed with 136 wolves in New Mexico and 105 in Arizona.

For those interested in helping care for the Mexican wolf pack at Brookfield Zoo, you can contribute to the Animal Adoption program. For $35, a recipient receives the Basic Package, which includes a 5-inch x 7-inch color photograph of a Mexican wolf, a personalized certificate of adoption, a Mexican wolf fact sheet, an Animal Adoption program decal, and an invitation to the exclusive 2023 Animal Adoption summer event. To purchase, visit www.CZS.org/AnimalAdoption.