Photo credit B. Bartel, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
American Red Wolf
C. rufus
IUCN Status: Critically endangered
Endangered Species Act Status: Endangered
Height: 26 inches at shoulder
Length: 48 inches from nose to tail
Weight: 60 pounds (avg. male); 50 pounds (avg. female)
Wild population: <20
Captive population: ~260
Historic range: Southeastern United States
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See this informational pamphlet for more details on the American red wolf.
The American red wolf is American Wolf Foundation’s primary focus, because it is the most in need of our help! Currently there are fewer than 20 red wolves known to exist in the wild in the Red Wolf Recovery Area in a 5-county area in northeastern North Carolina in and near Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and Picosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and a smaller number on St. Vincent Island National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately 260 red wolves are housed in over 50 facilities participating in the Red Wolf Saving Animals From Extinction (“SAFE”) Program. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wants the captive population to nearly double to preserve the species’ genetic diversity and allow for more releases in the wild in NC and at additional sites. You can learn much more about the Red Wolf Recovery Program on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s helpful and informative website and on the AZA’s website.
In addition to these recognized red wolves, small remnant populations of red wolf hybrids have been identified on Galveston Island, Texas and in southern Louisiana. These wolves have a high % of red wolf DNA, and even have genetic alleles missing from the captive population which could require much-needed genetic diversity. As of late 2023, we entered a new partnership with an organization working to study and protect these animals.
How are we helping the Red Wolf SAFE Program? We provide Red Wolf Enclosure Campaign grants to facilities needing repairs, expansions or modifications to their red wolf habitats. We are especially interested in funding expansions that allow facilities to transition start hosting breeding pairs and packs, so we can help increase the population! Learn more on our Projects page.
The complete list of Red Wolf SAFE Program facilities as of January 2023 is available below, with links to their websites. Facilities in ***bold*** have received enclosure funds from AWF. Facilities in italics are still building and don’t have red wolves yet:
Akron Zoo / Akron, OH
Alexandria Zoo (Alexandria Zoological Park) / Alexandria, LA
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge / East Lake, NC
Arkansas State University / Jonesboro, AR
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo / Bridgeport, CT
Bergen County Zoo / Paramus, NJ
***Ross Park Zoo (Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park) / Binghamton, NY***
Brookgreen Gardens (Lowcountry Zoo) / Murrells Inlet, SC
Carolina Tiger Rescue / Pittsboro, NC
Charles Town Landing State Historic Site / Charleston, SC
Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center / Divide, CO
***Endangered Wolf Center / Eureka, MO***
Forth Worth Zoo / Fort Worth, TX
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center / Glen Rose, TX
Fresno Chaffee Zoo / Fresno, CA
Great Plains Zoo / Sioux Falls, SD
***Henson Robinson Zoo / Springfield, IL***
***Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park / Homosassa, FL***
The Jackson Zoo (Jackson Zoological Park) / Jackson, MS
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area / Golden Pond, KY
Lincoln Park Zoo / Chicago, IL
Mill Mountain Zoo / Roanoke, VA
Miller Park Zoo / Bloomington, IL
Museum of Life and Science / Durham, NC
Niabi Zoo / Coal Valley, IL
North Carolina State University / Raleigh, NC
North Carolina Zoo / Asheboro, NC
Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo & Adventure Park (NEW Zoo) / Suamico, WI
Olgebay Good Zoo / Wheeling, WV
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium / Tacoma, WA
Red Wolf Education and Health Care Facility (Red Wolf Center) / Columbia, NC
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center / Chattanooga, TN
Roger Williams Park Zoo / Providence, RI
Rosamond Gifford Zoo / Syracuse, NY
Rowan Wild at Dan Nicholas Park (Rowan Wildlife Adventures) / Salisbury, NC
***Saint Louis Zoo (at its off-exhibit Sears Lehmann, Jr. Wildlife Reserve) / St. Louis, MO***
Salisbury Zoological Park / Salisbury, MD
St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge / Apalachicola, FL
Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science / Tallahassee, FL
The Texas Zoo / Victoria, TX
Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School / Millbrook, NY
Virginia Living Museum / Newport News, VA
Western North Carolina Nature Center / Asheville, NC
Wildlife Safari / Winston, OR
Wildlife Science Center / Stacy, MN
Wolf Conservation Center (New York Wolf Center) / South Salem, NY
Wolf Haven International / Tenino, WA
The Zoo at Chehaw / Albany, GA
Zoo Knoxville (Knoxville Zoological Gardens) / Knoxville, TN
Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park / Tampa, FL