A recent trail camera footage in North Carolina’s Alligator River Wildlife Refuge has captured a rare and endangered red wolf. This is one of the world’s most endangered carnivores [Watch video here].
The footage highlights one of the only 17 adults thought to exist in the wild today.
In this blog post, we will delve deeper into the physical appearance, habitat, diet, geographic range, threats, and conservation status of the red wolf.
Jump Links
- Where do red wolves live? (Geographic range)
- What do red wolves look like? (Physical Appearance)
- What do red wolves eat? (Diet)
- Are red wolves dangerous? (Behavior)
- How many red wolves are left? (Conservation Status)
- Why are red wolves endangered? (Threats)
- Conservation efforts to save the red wolves
If you want a free teaching resource about this amazing animal, you can check out this amazing lesson plan and template about Red Wolves:
Where do red wolves live?
Geographic Range
Red wolves (Canis rufus) are native to the United States. They were once widespread, inhabiting an area stretching through the entire southeast. According to National Geographic, you can only find them at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and its surrounding counties in North Carolina’s Albemarle Peninsula. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says they are limited to the counties of Washington, Hyde, Tyrell, Beaufort, and Dare. This area provides an ideal habitat for red wolves, with a mix of forests, swamps, and wetlands.
These wolves are monitored via radio telemetry using GPS collars. This is to track their population and movements, so their location is not usually a mystery.
What do red wolves look like?
Physical Appearance
Red wolves are slightly smaller than their gray cousins, they can reach 2 feet in height. And, they weigh between 45 and 80 pounds. Their average weight depends on sex: females weigh 50 pounds on average, and males 60.
They have long, slender legs, and lean narrow heads with large erect ears. They are typically a reddish-brown color with black-tipped tails and legs.
What do red wolves eat?
Diet
This is a carnivorous animal, that enjoys eating deer, rabbits, raccoons, nutria, and other rodents. They can eat a lot more than you would initially imagine if you compare them to their domesticated cousins: dogs. Their daily food intake can reach up to 5 pounds.
Are red wolves dangerous?
Behavior
Red wolves are not dangerous to humans, but they can be highly territorial so you better be careful when in their geographical range to not go near their pack’s territory.
They like to live in packs which usually have 5 to 8 members on average. When the offspring of a member of the pack reaches two years of age it is very likely they are going to leave the pack and go form their own pack.
These wolves mate once a year, usually around February, and the bonds they make are for life.
How many red wolves are left?
Conservation status
Some say this species is one of the most endangered canids in the world or even the most endangered canid in the world by some organizations. According to the IUCN Red List, they are under the category of critically endangered, which means they’re just one step away from being extinct in the wild.
They have lost around 99% of their historical territory, which is more than any other large carnivore has lost.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that today there are only 14 to 17 adults in the wild.
Why are red wolves endangered?
Threats
According to National Geographic, the leading cause of death for red wolves is gunshot, even though it’s illegal to kill them. The IUCN Red List highlights hunting and persecution as their main threat leading to rapid decline.
On this topic, the Defenders of Wildlife organization, says the main threats the red wolves are facing are “Agency mismanagement, gunshot mortality, hybridization, habitat degradation and lack of education.” When they talk about hybridization, they are referring to the dangers posed by their interactions with coyotes who have occupied the habitat range of the red wolves.
Another threat is climate change, as their whole habitat in the Albemarle Peninsula is just three feet above sea level.
Conservation efforts to save the red wolves
Red wolves were among the initial species to be included in the Endangered Species Act in 1967. Later in 1987, four pairs of red wolves were set free into the wilderness of Dare County, North Carolina, in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, resulting in a growth of their population to 150 wolves by 2010. However, the program encountered difficulties, including political pressure, illegal management, and agency inaction, causing it to collapse.
Today, the conservation efforts carried out to save red wolves include the Red Wolf SAFE program. This program aims to maintain a population of red wolves healthy under human care. They also help research red wolf behavior, genetics, and habitat needs, with the purpose of supporting the recovery and management of the species’ population. One of their goals is to promote education and awareness actions in order to increase public understanding and support for red wolf conservation.
Some of the things carried out by the SAFE program in favor of the red wolves’ conservation are:
- Captive breeding programs.
- Transfer of red wolves among different facilities to breed according to genetic management objectives to help maintain the health and diversity of the population.
- Minimizing human contact with captive red wolves which promotes avoidance behavior and supports a healthy pack structure as well as pair bonding, breeding, and pup rearing.
- Evaluation and selection of red wolves for release to the wild based on their genetic makeup, reproductive performance, behavior, and physical suitability.
- Political advocacy to address challenges faced by red wolf recovery programs, such as illegal management, agency inaction, and political pressure.
On February 2023, there were around 235 red wolves distributed across 49 Red Wolf SAFE facilities in the United States. To further increase the population, the number of breeding pairs has been upped to 40 pairs for the 2022-2023 breeding season.
To know more about conservation efforts regarding red wolves, read this amazing piece by Meaghan Mulholland.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the red wolf plays an important role in the ecosystem. The recent trail camera footage serves as a reminder of the challenges these animals face.
To protect these animals it’s essential to strengthen law enforcement to prosecute and deter poachers, improve outreach and coexistence strategies in the red wolf recovery area, and create additional red wolf recovery areas within its historic range.
It’s crucial to take action to protect and conserve the red wolf population to ensure their continued existence.