"Historic moment" for red wolves in North Carolina

• Eastern North Carolina is the only place in the world where red wolves roam wild due to a reintroduction plan by the government that started in 1987. Only an estimated 17-19 remain in the wild.

Zoom in: The hope with the breeding pair — a 2-year-old male and 5-year-old female — is that they'll mate and produce a litter, symbolizing "a critical step toward securing the future of red wolves," according to the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, which called this a "historic moment."

By the numbers: The success rate for red wolves breeding in human care has recently risen from 20%-25% to 38%-45%, per the NCWF.

What they're saying: "We're hopeful that this pair will lead to a new generation of Red Wolves, underscoring that recovery is a complex, collaborative effort," Tim Gestwicki, CEO of NCWF, said in a statement.

Zoom out: Captive red wolves can be found at a few other locations around North Carolina, including at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro.