While most of us will have heard of gray wolves – and the political rollercoaster that is their protection status in the US – they aren’t the only wolf species in the country. In a tiny pocket of North Carolina can be found the red wolf (Canis rufus), and it’s one of the most endangered wolf species in the world.

Red wolf

Red wolves have, as you might’ve guessed, a reddish tint to parts of their otherwise brown fur, and look characteristically wolf-like, with wide heads featuring a broad muzzle and pointy ears, and big ol’ paws at the end of long legs.

They’re often described as somewhere between a wolf and coyote in terms of size, standing at around 66 centimeters (26 inches) at the shoulder, and measuring about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long.

Their similarities to the two once made them the subject of a drawn-out debate about whether or not they were actually some sort of gray wolf-coyote hybrid, but the general consensus is now that they are indeed a unique species.

Like gray wolves, red wolves are also pack animals that usually revolve around a family, pair-bonded-for-life parents mating around February time and popping out pups in the late spring months.

If these pups are born in the wild, however, they have less than a 50 percent chance of survival – and that’s not good news for a species with a population in decline.

How did red wolves become endangered?

Red wolves could once be found throughout the eastern and south-central regions of the US. Then, in the 1800s, began decades of persistent wolf hunting, including government-backed predator control programs that saw both gray wolf and red wolf populations decimated.

Concerned about complete extinction, the red wolf was listed under the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967 – and later the Endangered Species Act of 1973 – providing them with protections, while captive breeding programs were also set up.

By 1980, however, the red wolf had officially gone extinct in the wild. Only captive populations remained, some of which would later be reintroduced into their native habitat.

What’s the situation now?

Today, the future of the red wolf still remains uncertain. Classified as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, the only place where red wolves can be found in the wild is the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. 

While 290 red wolves can be found in captivity, in the refuge, the wild population stands at just an estimated 17 to 19 wolves.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program has seen recent releases of wolves into the wild, but life can be difficult once they’re out there. Threats remain, including poaching, vehicle strikes, and the potential for hybridization with coyotes.