The following information wasz provided by the Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. Since 2003 the WCC has played a critical role in preserving and protecting these imperiled species with through carefully managed breeding and reintroduction. To date, the WCC remains one of the largest holding facilities for these rare species and seven wolves from the Center have been given the extraordinary opportunity to resume their rightful place on the wild landscape.
Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) is a breeding and management program designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of captive-based animal populations, and prioritize the release of captive animals to the wild. It’s a coordinated effort among zoos, organizations like the Wolf Conservation Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico’s Fish & Wildlife Agencies and managed under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
MEXICAN GRAY WOLVES
The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) or “lobo” is the most genetically distinct lineage of gray wolves in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. By the mid-1980s, hunting, trapping, and poisoning caused the extinction of lobos in the wild, with only a handful remaining in captivity. In 1998 the wolves were reintroduced into the wild as part of a federal reintroduction program under the Endangered Species Act. Today in the U.S., there is a single wild population comprised of 196 individuals - a 5% increase from the 186 counted at the end of 2020.
RED WOLVES
The red wolf (Canis rufus) is one of the world’s most endangered wild canids. Once common throughout the southeastern United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the 1960s due to intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat. A remnant population of red wolves was found along the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. After being declared an endangered species in 1973, efforts were initiated to locate and capture as many wild red wolves as possible. Of the 17 remaining wolves captured by biologists, 14 became the founders of a successful captive breeding program. Consequently, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) declared red wolves extinct in the wild in 1980. As of December 2022, there is a single wild population comprising 10 known individuals.
Captive Management for the Mexican Wolf
Captive breeding and management of the Mexican wolf began in the late 1970's with the capture of the last remaining Mexican wolves in the wild in Mexico. This effort quickly became an essential component of Mexican wolf recovery, as it saved the Mexican wolf from extinction and has provided wolves for reintroduction to the wild in the United States and Mexico.
Species Survival Plan Captive Facilities
Today, the captive population is managed under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums through the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (SSP). The purpose of the SSP is to re-establish the Mexican wolf in the wild through captive breeding, public education, and research.
Approximately 50 SSP facilities participate in the SSP, housing 300+ Mexican wolves in facilities such as zoos in the United States and Mexico. Although these wolves are spread out between facilities, they are managed as a single population. Mexican wolves are routinely transferred among the facilities to breed according to genetic management objectives to maintain the health and diversity of the population.
Some captive Mexican wolves are available for reintroduction to the wild. These animals may be transferred to one of three pre-release facilities where they will be evaluated for release suitability and will undergo an acclimation process. Because there is a possibility that captive Mexican wolves may not survive in the wild, only animals with genes well represented in captivity are selected for release, ensuring the remaining genetic integrity of the captive population.
Pre-release Captive Facilities
Mexican wolves are acclimated prior to release to the wild in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved facilities designed to house wolves in a manner that fosters wild characteristics and behaviors. These include the Sevilleta and Ladder Ranch Wolf Management Facilities, both of which are located in New Mexico within the Mexican Wolf Recovery Area, and Wolf Haven International, located in Tenino, Washington. Wolves at these facilities are managed in a manner that minimizes human contact in order to promote avoidance behavior, and to maximize pair bonding, breeding, pup rearing, and healthy pack structure development. They are then evaluated and selected for release to the wild based on their genetic makeup, reproductive performance, behavior, physical suitability, and their overall response to the adaptation process. The Sevilleta and Ladder Ranch facilities have proven very successful in breeding wolves for release purposes, and they continue to be an integral part of Mexican wolf recovery efforts.
Where do red wolves live?
Unlike gray wolves, which are found in many areas of the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world, American red wolves, a national treasure, are solely native to the coast of North Carolina, where they face many threats to their survival.
Why are red wolves endangered?
Red wolves in the wild face a number of threats, including hunting, human encroachment on their habitats which drives them to areas lacking in resources and food, and the loss of prey due to urbanization and overhunting. The number one threat to red wolves is humans. Over 70% of deaths of red wolves are from being poached, hit by a car, poisoned, or other form of human interference.
How many red wolves remain in the wild?
Decades ago, red wolves were considered extinct in the wild. Today, red wolves are critically endangered with less than 30 left in the wild, while roughly 250 remain in the AZA American Red Wolf SSP (Species Survival Plan) breeding program. The American red wolf was one of the first species protected under the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1967 as well as one of the first species added to the list of endangered species after the passing of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. By that time, many red wolves had already been hunted to near extinction.
How can we protect red wolves from total extinction?
Conservation efforts have long been underway to protect the American red wolf from extinction. Red wolf reintroduction programs intended to promote breeding in the wild and species survival in addition to genetic health have led to an increase in the population of wild red wolves. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, red wolf populations reached near extinction, and the last remaining red wolves were caught and brought into zoos to launch a breeding and reintroduction program and to preserve this important species.
Red Wolf Conservation Programs Today
Today, the red wolf conservation program is helping to protect red wolves and increase populations, but further conservation efforts are needed to ensure species survival. There are currently 41 partner facilities in the SSP, 22 of which are AZA-accredited, with capacity for 230 animals, with the goal to add partners to grow to capacity to 400 animals to meet USFWS recovery goals. Leading the charge are the North Carolina Zoo, Endangered Wolf Center, and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
