Federal wildlife officials have confirmed that five red wolf pups have died, and conservationists say the death of the litter is connected to their father being killed when he was hit by a car this spring.
The male red wolf was killed in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County along U.S. 64.
Officials with the Center for Biological Diversity, which is advocating for wildlife crossings to be built on the highway, say after the death of the father, the mother was likely unable to feed the five pups on her own.
A spokesman says red wolves mate for life and raise their young together.
There are less than 20 red wolves still alive in the wild, and they all live in the refuge.
