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Red Wolf Population and Humans
As a predator, the red wolf has no natural enemies. The biggest enemy to the red wolf has been, and remains, humans. The population of the red wolf declined to less than 20 wolves in the wild in 1980 due to overly aggressive predator control programs and loss of habitat as a result of human expansion. Now the population of the red wolf is recovering, but still is threatened by human activity -- they are killed by drivers of automobiles and hunters, for example.
Weather
One of the biggest threats to the critically damaged red wolf population is severe weather. The current wild red wolf population is limited to lower lying coastal regions that are susceptible to severe weather and storm surges. In 2003 the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge was hit by Hurricane Isabel, resulting in the deaths of two red wolves. This loss in a population that numbers only a few hundred is devastating.
Other Packs
The red wolf is a territorial animal. Red wolves live in packs of around 20 and are led by a mating pair of alpha wolves. The red wolf will aggressively defend its territory against other red wolves that are not in its pack. This aggression could run from displays of power and dominance to outright violence. However, because of their dramatically reduced population, the danger of one pack encroaching on the territory of another pack is minimal. When the red wolf was at its formally healthy population, the danger of violence between packs posed a threat.
Coyote
One of the other serious enemies to the red wolf today is the coyote, but not through aggression or the loss of life. The red wolf is breeding with the coyote, leading to a hybrid offspring that has lost the unique genetic characteristics that make up the red wolf. This process is called hybridization and could result in the disappearance of the pure breed red wolf in the wild.