Nashoba & Max’s Pack
Mexican wolves
From a distance, you might think an introvert and an extrovert just don’t mix, but our bond is strong, and we have science and innovation on our side…
Meet Our Pack
Nashoba’s story is one of scientific feats, innovation, and defying the odds. Born April 2, 2017 to Mexican wolf pair Vera and Mack, Nashoba (meaning “wolf” in Choctaw) was distinguished from the start. As the first Mexican wolf born from artificial insemination using frozen-thawed semen, he marks the beginning of a new era in science.
Nashoba’s Story
Institutions involved in the SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Mexican Wolf program have collected and stored frozen semen for more than 20 years waiting for scientific processes to catch up. Using banked semen from a Mexican wolf, Luis, and Vera’s mate, Mack, Vera was inseminated in January 2017. Animal Care staff watched hopefully as Vera grew rounder and began denning. They observed closely via den camera as Vera gave birth to Nashoba mid-morning on a quiet Sunday.
Because he was a singleton, Nashoba received all of the nutrients as he was developing and was a hefty 4.7 pounds at a mere three weeks old. He continued to thrive and was quick to leave the den and begin exploring his habitat with his family. Nashoba’s older brother, Tulio, became a dutiful babysitter, tolerantly sitting and watching over or playing with his younger brother.
Our staff was thrilled when genetic testing concluded that Mexican wolf 818 is Nashoba’s biological father. This male, named Luis, was born at the Endangered Wolf Center to Picaron and Tanamara. Though Luis has passed away, Nashoba carries on his legacy.
Nashoba has a curious but timid nature. He has been paired with a mate, Max, from Wolf Conservation Center, and they’ve bonded beautifully. Max is playful and sometimes seen pouncing around Nashoba to initiate play.
Nashoba
Max
Get to know their pack in this video update
In 2024, Nashoba and Max welcomed several new additions to their pack. Of their seven pups, six had the incredible opportunity to go to the wilds of New Mexico as part of the pup foster program that the EWC has participated in since 2016. This successful conservation technique helps to strengthen the fragile genetics of endangered wolves by placing pups born at zoological facilities into wild dens. Because wolves are naturally nurturing and pack-oriented, wild mothers accept the pups and raise them as their own.
Your symbolic adoption of this pack of Mexican wolves will support their care and help us continue to work towards a world where endangered wolves thrive in their native habitats and are recognized for their vital roles as leading members of a healthy ecosystem.