— The red wolf pups at the Museum of Life and Science now have names after nearly 4,000 people voted for their favorites.

The museum announced last week that the pups, born in late April, are now named Bronto, Rocket, Sprout, Lunar, Mist and Carolina, a collection of monikers all inspired by the Durham campus.

In June, the museum launched online voting campaign to name the pups. Other choices, all inspired by the museum or North Carolina, were:

Fisher, Jockey, Mitchell, Pilot, Umstead and Haw

Hatteras, Bodie, Currituck, Oak, Ocracoke and Lookout

Murray, Roxboro, Britannia, Shenandoah, Lavender and Elgin

As I wrote last month, this is the first time that the museum will give its red wolves names. In the past, the museum referred to the red wolves only by their official record numbers rather than by names, according to a news release. That's because, according to the museum, as part of the Red Wolf Species Survival Program, the wolves don’t belong to the museum, are not permanent residents and could be moved elsewhere.

But recent research shows that when animals have names, visitors develop more empathy for them, which often inspires them to want to learn more or get involved in conservation efforts, according to the museum. So the museum decided that it is time the wolves had names.

The six wolf pups were born on April 22 as part of one of the only multigenerational packs of critically endangered red wolves in captivity, according to the release. With only about 260 red wolves left in the world, these six represent a vital part of the effort to preserve and protect the species, the museum says.

In addition to naming the new pups, the museum last month also shared names given to its adult wolves. The parents of the wolf pups came to the museum in 2017 with the names Cary and Moose. The Animal Department also recently named the one-year-old brothers Ellerbe and Eno. ⁣⁣⁣