In 1968 the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began a study of wild red wolves in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana where the last remaining red wolves ranged. In 1969 the first red wolf was captured there and placed into captivity, initiating the captive breeding program at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA. In 1987 the first red wolf reintroduction project released four pairs of red wolves into the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (ARNWR) in northeastern North Carolina. The current recovery area is comprised of five counties on more than 1.7 million acres that includes three national wildlife refuges (Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes and Mattamuskeet), a U.S. Air Force bombing range, and several hundred thousand acres of private land. Main prey for wolves here are deer, raccoon, nutria and rabbits. Red wolves in North Carolina range in less than 5 percent of the map shown, with all wolves in the northeastern part of the state. Range lines are not depicted.
Species Information
Species
Common Name: red wolf
Latin Name:
Canis rufus
Subpecies
Common Name: red wolf
Latin Name:
Canis rufus rufus
Current Wolf Population, Trend, Status
Number of wolves: 100+
Population trend: Stable/slightly increasing
Legal status: Federal protection, with some exceptions
Human Relationships
Attitudes & Issues
Current informatin on public attitudes and controversial issues in North Carolina.
History
Information related to the history of wolves in North Carolina.
Recovery & Management
Information related to legal status, regulations and management plans and practices in North Carolina.
Depredation
Information related to depredation issues, compensation and prevention in North Carolina.
Related Links & Information
Information related to special events occurring, news articles or links related to human relationships to wolves in North Carolina.
Ecology
Biology
Descriptions of species/subspecies present: physiology and unique characteristics as well as information related to distribution of wolves in North Carolina.
