Back From The Brink, Red Wolf

“Though the species once ranged from eastern Texas to the Atlantic Coast and north into southern Pennsylvania, by 1970 uncontrolled hunting, habitat loss and predator control programs had removed the red wolf from all but the remotest parts of Texas and Louisiana coast. After the species was listed as Endangered in 1967, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) initiated a plan to capture as many genetically pure red wolves as possible….just 14 breeding red wolves. In 1980, FWS declared the species extinct in the wild.”  Today, more than 50 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina, and nearly 200 are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the US. “These nocturnal predators stand at the top of their food chain, playing a valuable role in keeping numbers of prey, such as deer, raccoons and the invasive nutria in check, thus protecting the habitat of all species...While the red wolf's return to the wild is a conservation triumph, the species' long-term success requires constant monitoring and support.”