What's in There?

Entrant's First Name
Ginny

Story or Bio
This is a photo that I took of a captive red wolf at Durham, NC's Museum of Life and Science.

During a Meet the Keeper program, I learned about the history of red wolves. The staff also spoke about wolves’ role in cultivating biodiversity, and actions we can take to assist with conservation efforts.

The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a smaller cousin of the more well-known gray wolf. Formerly, red wolves ranged mostly throughout the southeastern U.S., from Pennsylvania to Florida.

The red wolf was labeled an endangered species in 1967, according to nywolf.org. They almost became extinct, due to hunting and predator control programs. In 1973, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service organized a captive breeding program.

Today, approximately 200 red wolves live in facilities like the Durham museum’s habitat. However, fewer than 50 red wolves remain in the wild.