Red wolves endangered by rule designed to protect them - 7th wolf killed

Seven Red wolves have been confirmed as shot in 2012, and 2 died 'during capture'.

December 2012. Yet another Red wold has been shot in North Carolina; at least 7 have been killed since a rule change in the law to allow hunting of coyotes at night. This radio-collared red wolf was found dead with a suspected gunshot wound on November 29, 2012, south of Columbia, in Tyrrell County, N.C.

16 Red wolves have died in 2012
A total of 16 red wolves have died since January 1, 2012. Of those 16, two were struck and killed by vehicles, two died during capture (Two small pups were killed by a parent after the pups had a microchip fitted under their skin), five died of unknown causes, and seven were suspected gunshot deaths.

World's most endangered canid?
The red wolf is one of the world's most endangered wild canids. Once common throughout the south-eastern United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the 1960's due to intensive predator control programs and loss of habitat. A remnant population of red wolves was found along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. After being declared an endangered species in 1967, efforts were initiated to locate and capture as many wild red wolves as possible. Of the 17 remaining wolves captured by biologists, 14 became the founders of a successful captive breeding program.

Extinct in the wild in 1970s
Consequently, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service declared red wolves extinct in the wild in 1980.

The first litter of red wolves born in captivity occurred in 1977. By 1987, enough red wolves were bred in captivity to begin a restoration program on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in north eastern North Carolina.

Since then, the experimental population area has expanded to include three national wildlife refuges, a Department of Defense bombing range, state-owned lands, and private property, spanning a total of 1.7 million acres.

100 in the wild
About 100 red wolves roam their native habitats in five north eastern North Carolina counties. Additionally, nearly 200 red wolves comprise the Species Survival Plan captive breeding program in sites across the United States, still an essential element of red wolf recovery. Interbreeding with the coyote, a species not native to North Carolina, has been recognized as a significant and detrimental threat affecting restoration of red wolves in this section of their historical home range.

Currently, red wolf population managers are using adaptive management strategies to reduce the threat of coyotes while building the wild red wolf population in north eastern North Carolina.

Red wolves
The red wolf is one of two species of wolves in North America, the other being the gray wolf, as their name suggests, red wolves are known for the characteristic reddish colour of their fur most apparent behind the ears and along the neck and legs, but are mostly brown and buff coloured with some black along their backs. Intermediate in size to gray wolves and coyotes, the average adult red wolf weighs 45-80 pounds, stands about 26 inches at the shoulder and is about 4 feet long from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail.

Red wolves are social animals that live in packs consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring of different years, typically five to eight animals. Red wolves prey on a variety of wild mammals such as raccoon, rabbit, white-tailed deer, nutria, and other rodents. Most active at dusk and dawn, red wolves are elusive and generally avoid humans and human activity.