Wolves have had a long and interesting history in the world, and especially in the United States. Various species once roamed through vast areas of land, hunting in packs helping to keep the population of deer and other prey animals in check.

Thanks to persistent hunting in the 1800’s and 1900’s, however, their numbers have dwindled dramatically. For one species of wolf, the red wolf, things have become especially dire.

The red wolf stands about 66 centimeters (26 inches) at the shoulder and is around 1.2 meters (4 feet) long. Their fur has a reddish tint, and like other wolves, they hunt in packs and generally mate for life.

These wolves typically give birth in February each year, and the pups only have about a 50% chance of surviving into adulthood. This is due to threats of other predators, human poachers, starvation, and other issues.

Making things worse, there are only an estimated 17 to 19 red wolves left in the wild, making them critically endangered and on the IUCN Red List. All known red wolves in the wild live in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in eastern North Carolina.

There are 290 other red wolves living in captivity. Many of these captive red wolves are actively bred to increase their numbers, and when possible, released into the wild to boost genetic diversity and overall numbers.

While people are doing a lot to attempt to save this once-popular predator, it is still unknown whether they will be able to recover from the decimation they endured at the hands of hunters in the past.

It is sad that these beautiful animals are in such danger.

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