Projects

Conservation Projects

Red Wolf Enclosure Campaign for captive red wolves

American Wolf Foundation is raising funds to provide grants for approximately 25 new enclosures for red wolf captive breeding. Additionally, we provide emergency funding to facilities that house red wolves for enclosure repairs from storm damage, floods, or other unexpected events. There are fewer than 20 wolves in the wild in northeastern North Carolina, and around 260 in captivity across the country. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service requires increasing the captive population to at least 330 to increase genetic diversity in the captive population and increasing to at least 400 before releasing additional red wolves into the wild. This requires 50 new enclosures, only 25 of which are accounted for. Each new enclosure can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build. American Wolf Foundation is offering $5,000 grants to facilities adding or expanding their capacity for red wolves as part of the Red Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (“SAFE”) Program.

We are actively working to identify additional grant recipients and are in discussions with several zoos and other facilities about adding red wolves to their portfolio or expanding their existing enclosures.

Our grants to date are as follows:

2023

In January 2023, we paid for 7 den cameras at Saint Louis Zoo’s Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve to allow observation of their new off-exhibit red wolves. These cameras are essential to avoid human contact and preserve the wolves’ wild instincts. You can read about their pack on STLZoo’s blog here.

In November 2023, we paid for repairs to the red wolf enclosure at Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Preserve in Homosassa, FL. Wilbur was happy about this.

2021

In February 2021, we issued enclosure grants to two zoos: Henson Robinson Zoo in Springfield, IL and Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton, NY. Our grants assist these zoos in transitioning from holding non-breeding adult red wolves to breeding pairs and packs.

On May 13, 2022, our grant to Henson Robinson Zoo paid off when they welcomed Ranger, a male red wolf pup born to a first-time mother, Pepper and father Red. Ranger is thriving. He is a critical new addition to the endangered red wolf population. Read about Ranger’s birth here.

Ross Park Zoo had some delays (they are closed to the public in winter) and worked to coordinate our grant with other funds. Their red wolf enclosure modifications were complete in early 2023 and they added 4 new wolves in October 2023. Read about the Wolf Woods improvements here.

2019

In September 2019, American Wolf Foundation issued its first grant ever to assist Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, MO repair its American red wolf enclosures, which were badly damaged by flash-flooding. Learn more about the flood damage here.

Genetic Rescue of wild red wolf hybrids

In addition to our work for captive red wolves, as of December 2023, we have entered a new partnership to work on study and protection of remnant wild populations of red wolves or red wolf hybrids. The “Ghost Wolves” of Galveston Island, Texas and southwestern Louisiana have a high % of red wolf DNA, including some genetic alleles absent in the captive red wolf population. These red wolf-like animals have survived despite aggressive wolf extirpation campaigns, coyote hunting contests, and their captive cousins being declared extinct in the wild in 1980. The genetic information is crucial to the red wolf as a species, yet these wild animals have no protection under the Endangered Species Act, which does not protect hybrids. We are excited to begin working on this project!

Awareness Projects

Red wolf educational materials update

American Wolf Foundation has created an educational brochure about the critically-endangered American red wolf which it is providing at no cost to facilities housing red wolves as part of the Red Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (“SAFE”) Program. This brochure will help educate visitors to these facilities about red wolves. This brochure is a free public resource available on our About Red Wolves page!

Identifying Research Topics

We are interested in funding unique predator studies to increase public awareness of the benefits of wolves. One topic of interest is the benefit of wolves in combatting invasive feral hogs, which are detrimental to farming operations and the native ecosystem as a whole. A study of Italian wolves showed they prefer wild boar over deer but there has been little opportunity for a similar study in the United States. If you have an interesting research topic and would like to partner with us, please Contact Us.

Historical Archive

We are collecting historical records and accounts of the American red wolf. Have a family member who remembers red wolves in the wild? Please Contact Us.

Coexistence Projects

Identifying Stakeholders

We are identifying prospective partners to establish a Coexistence Council for the American red wolf, similar to a successful Mexican Wolf/Livestock Coexistence Council established for the Mexican grey wolf in the Southwest. We are also investigating how we can assist in the Prey for the Pack Program in the Red Wolf Recovery Area in North Carolina, which increases habitat for red wolf prey through cooperative agreements between local landowners and the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, with support from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. Read more about Prey for the Pack on NCWF’s website. Please Contact Us if you are interested in collaborating.