SALISBURY – With sadness, the Salisbury Zoo announced this week the passing of its male red wolf, Scout. The wolf lived to be 11 years old, spending seven years of his life at the Salisbury Zoo.
The zoo currently has one red wolf, a 9-year old female named Shiloh. She continues to educate the public about red wolves, their endangerment and the importance of wildlife conservation.
Scout came to the Salisbury Zoo in 2014 from the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri. He came to the zoo positive for heartworm and was routinely monitored. Over the last few months his health began to decline and staff kept him under more intense observation. The zoo’s veterinarian decided it was in Scout’s best interest to be moved to the zoo’s intensive care area in the hospital. His condition worsened, and a decision was made by the veterinarian and zoo staff, to humanely euthanize Scout to prevent suffering. He passed on Aug. 31.
During his time at the Salisbury Zoo, Scout played a pivotal role in conservation education. The red wolf is the world’s most endangered canid, once ranging throughout the southeastern United States. Today, wild red wolves are only found in specially protected areas of North Carolina. Due to over hunting and habitat loss, there are only nine known red wolves left in the wild and approximately 245 red wolves in breeding program facilities across the country, like the Salisbury Zoo. The Salisbury Zoo continues to work toward the conservation initiative in order to prevent species such as the red wolf from going extinct.
