Red Wolf
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At one time the Red Wolf (Canis rufus) was the dominant canid of the Southeastern United States.
Like their close relative the Gray Wolf (the second of two native wolf species), red wolves were hunted to the brink of extinction. In 1980 they were declared extinct in the wild, necessitating a captive breeding program to save the species.
Today a small population lives on a combination of public and private land in Eastern North Carolina. Since the inception of the captive breeding and reintroduction program, estimates for the wild ranging population have grown from eighteen to over one hundred.
Inter-breeding with resident coyote populations poses an additional challenge to maintaining the integrity of this newly established red wolf population.
The red wolf also exhibits typical wolf behavior, hunting in packs and preying upon local mammals.
© 2010 Patricia A. Michaels