A three-legged red wolf who the North Carolina Zoo said was an amabassador for the species has died.
According to the North Carolina Zoo, Ayita, a 13-year-old red wolf, has died. The zoo called Ayita a "champion of her species" who gave birth to 13 wolf pups and was a grandmother to at least 10 more pups. She was the oldest red wolf at the zoo.
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The zoo said Ayita lost her leg from an injury at a previous facility before her arrival in 2017, but said the injury never slowed her down.
According to the U.S. Fish & WIldlife Service, the red wolf is considered the world's most endagered wolf. About 15 or 17 red wolves roam in their native eastern North Carolina habitats as a "nonessential experimental population" and about 241 red wolves are maintained at 45 breeding facilities through the US.
WRAL reported several stories on her litters, including three pups in 2022 and five pups in 2018. One of the pups born in 2018, Thor, still lived at the zoo with Ayita.
"She was a wonderful mother to her pups and a fierce protector of them," the zoo said on Facebook. "Despite having warm den boxes and only three legs, she was known for digging her own dens, a welcomed behavior that charmed her keepers."