Page 7 - The Great Wolf Rescue: Saving the Red Wolves

By the 1960s, red wolves were only seen roaming wild along the Gulf Coast of Texas
and Louisiana. Even there, sightings were rare. In 1973, with worldwide concern about
conserving wildlife growing, the United States established the Endangered Species Act.

And the red wolf officially became an endangered species, a kind of wildlife whose
population is so small it needs to be protected. The United States Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) became responsible for ensuring the red wolf’s survival. To accomplish
this, in 1973, they established the USFWS Red Wolf Recovery Program.

But leading up to that point, something else happened to shrink the red wolf
population across its historic range. Coyotes moved into red wolf territory. And when a
suitable red wolf partner wasn’t available because the wolves sensed they were close
relatives, red wolves mated with coyotes. Red wolves and coyotes are both canids,

members of the dog family. They could mate and produce pups, but their offspring were
hybrids, a mix of both species. And the more the number of hybrids increased the more
the pure red wolf population diminished.

Unlike other kinds of wolves,
red wolves were only ever
found living in North America.

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