Red Wolf Rebound

Over the years, I've always kept one eye focused dimly on the far eastern counties of North Carolina.  Here, in the swamps, woodlands, and meadows around Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, the world's last wild red wolves made their last stand.  The wolf population was the result of a captive breeding and reintroduction program established between zoos and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Over decades, it had boosted this species from "Extinct in the Wild" to a small population of over 100 animals.  Then, faced with a resurgence of persecution from humans, it dropped back down to less than 10.

When I visited Alligator River a few years back, I felt ambivalent about the experience.  It was very meaningful to be at the site of such an important, historic zoo conservation program's crowning achievement.  And yet, it seemed quiet, empty, the landscape felt incomplete.  I was getting ready to write the wolves of North Carolina off as a lost cause.    I think a lot of people were.  It looks like their story isn't over yet, though.  Red wolves may be down, but they aren't out.  Not yet.

Photo Credit: Akron Zoo

This month, a female red wolf at the Akron Zoo gave birth to a liter of eight pups.  Four have been left with her to rear.  Four were hurried off to North Carolina and were placed in a wild wolf den, to be raised as wild wolves.  This release was supplemented by the additional release of four adult wild wolves.  These moves represent the first reintroduction of wild wolves to the population since 2014 - basically for as long as I've been writing this blog.

There are a lot of factors which probably influenced this reversal.  Lawsuits which held USFWS' feet to the fire for not actively protecting the animals on the ground and allowing the population to wink out.  Zoo breeding programs for not giving up on the species.  Local educators who have been tireless in trying to reverse negative opinions about the wolves.  Oh, and a change of leadership at the federal level didn't hurt either.  

I still feel very strongly that, for this species to survive, additional wild populations need to be established elsewhere throughout their former range.  Red wolf numbers are still way down from where they should be, but they've been down before.  Given a chance and a little breathing space, even the most endangered of species can often surprise us with their resilience.