Hobbies And Interests
Endangered Species
Hunting and interbreeding with other species -- particularly with coyotes and domestic dogs -- imperiled red wolves by the 1930s, according to eNature.com. In the 1970s, after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the red wolf endangered, it took a number of red wolves and started a breeding program to avoid true extinction of the species.
Reintroduction
In 1987, the first pairs of red wolves arrived at Alligator National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, and bred successfully. In 1991, a release took place in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. The average litter size is four to six pups, but risks include starvation and diseases such as canine parvovirus.
Threats
On top of natural threats to the mortality of red wolves, reasons for their decline include the popularization of predator hunting, during which people may mistakenly shoot young red wolves thought to be coyotes. Wolf depredation -- when they kill or maim domestic animals -- may lead to intentional poisoning and trapping. Non-lethal ways to prevent depredation do exist, however. According to the International Wolf Center, wolves in general present few dangers to people and typically avoid them. While red wolves rank as particularly shy, people should never approach wildlife without professional knowledge on how to do so.
Protection and Law
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still considers the red wolf to be "one of the most endangered animals in the world," and its Red Wolf Recovery Program and the Red Wolf Coalition work to educate hunters and others about protecting red wolves. The North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission on red wolf issues studies more ways to protect the species. The Red Wolf Coalition offered a reward in 2010 for information on individuals who hunt red wolves.