A group of conservationists has spent years trying to save Mexican Wolves from extinction—and doing so is an extremely hands-on job that involves transporting pups in backpacks, golf carts, trucks, and even planes. And these pups aren’t traveling economy either. “In a private plane soaring 26,000 feet over pine-swathed mountains, three tawny Mexican wolf pups slept. Their weight was less than three pounds each, their 10-day-old eyes still screwed shut. Their worth, as some of the newest members of a critically endangered species, was immeasurable.” WaPo (Gift Article) got a rare up-close view of the mission to reintroduce Mexican wolf pups to the wild this spring — one that involved dozens of humans in four states.

+ Sort of related: “Researchers in Japan say they have found that dogs produce tears when reuniting with their owners. What’s more, the blubbing appears to be linked to levels of the ‘bonding hormone’ oxytocin.” I wish my beagles would hormonally bond with tears instead of greeting me with hysterical barking while they slam their paws against my crotch. But the heart wants what the heart wants.