outer banks child

The Return of Canis Rufus

How the Red Wolf howl came back from the dead

by Fran Reynolds

North Carolina is a diverse state, with varied landscapes and a broad range of native species.

Of those species, 61 have been placed on the threatened and Endangered Species List. Of the 35 endangered animals, one creature resides here in Eastern North Carolina: the red wolf.

 "After 5 years of working with the wolves, howling is still the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard," says Kim Wheeler of the Red Wolf Coalition. "It’s hard to imagine that sound was almost lost forever."

 As Executive Director, Wheeler works to educate the public on how important it is to conserve this impressive species. One of her favorite — and most effective— methods is to host Red Wolf Howlings at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. All summer long, visitors enjoy a brief history of the wolf then take an exciting drive back into the refuge where just before sundown the wolves begin howling in unison. Then comes the best part: after the wolves howl, the children get their chance to call back. Everyone from toddlers to teenage boy scouts step forward to unleash their hairiest howl; and everyone walks away thrilled by the experience.

 "We didn’t know how great this would be or that something like this even existed!" said one excited boy.

 With each call-and-response, kids develop a greater understanding of how important it is to protect our natural world. A necessary lesson considering the red wolf’s troubled history. 

At one point, red wolves abounded across central Texas, through Florida and as far north as New England. Over time, increased human population, hunting and forest clearing nearly eradicated them. In fact, thirteen years after joining the list of endangered species in 1967, the red wolf was officially declared as extinct in the wild. With this alarming information in hand, biologists set out to conserve the remaining numbers — then restore red wolves to their natural environment.

 Luckily, biologists were able to locate 17 pure red wolves between Louisiana and Texas, selecting 14 as the founders of a captive breeding program. Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma Washington became the site for the breeding program. After the first litter of pups was born, scientists decided it was time to experiment with a release. They chose Bull Island, off the coast of South Carolina, as the test site where they set the wolves free, then successfully tracked and recaptured them, allowing the program to continue. But where?

 In 1984 the Prudential Insurance Company made a land donation to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. This large tract of land in Eastern North Carolina became the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Free of humans and full of prey, the refuge was the ideal locale for the wolves. In 1988, four pairs of captive-born red wolves returned to nature inside the refuge. Later that year, the first litter of pups was born in the wild. As the wild population continued to expand, multiple restoration projects began across eastern North Carolina. Today, the wolves now inhabit an area that covers 1.7 million acres across five counties, including Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.

 While red wolves are becoming more common in numbers, they remain unique as a species. Compared with their cousin the gray wolf, they are smaller and lankier, weighing between 50 and 80 pounds, standing 26 inches tall and reaching 4-5 feet from tail to nose. They have a more pronounced muzzle and ears, smaller feet and a delicate coat with traces of red along the head, ears and legs. As a top predator, their diet consists of white-tailed deer, nutria, marsh rabbits and other small rodents. Living in packs that consist of the breeding pair and their offspring, they work as a unit to hunt, raise pups and defend territory.

 Still, it takes a lot of work to ensure the species continues to thrive. Keeping close tabs on the wolves is very important because the biggest modern threat to the species is inter-breeding with coyotes. Unlike the gray wolf, if a red wolf cannot find a mate, it will search outside its species and pair with a coyote. Over time, the mixing of the two gene pools could cause the loss of the red wolf as a distinct species. As a result, of the 130 wild red wolves, 75% wear a tracking collar to help biologists determine survival rates and other crucial data.

Northeastern North Carolina remains the only place in the world where red wolves roam free. Even though their current range is small, the red wolf still plays an important role in the balance of the ecosystem. Currently there are plans underway to construct a natural habitat enclosure for a small group of resident wolves. Allowing your children to put a face with a howl will ensure that this rare species is no longer considered a threat — but a natural treasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 1, 2010