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by Marimar McNaughton
On Columbia's quiet Main Street, a lone wolf stands on all fours in a historic storefront window. His shaggy pelt is tawny gold, his long bushy tail drops to the backs of his hind legs, his ears are perked, his gaze is fixed at passersby and pedestrians. The beautifully mounted trophy is Canus rufus, or red wolf, and its appearance in Columbia at the headquarters of the Red Wolf Coalition, a non-profit advocacy building group, represents the species' return
to the wild and its native northeastern North Carolina habitat.
In 1967 the red wolf whose population had dwindled at the hands of human predators, who not only shot, trapped and clubbed wolves to death, but also destroyed habitats by over-developing real estate made the endangered list. Fewer than 20 red wolves were captured by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service near the Gulf Coast in 1973. By 1980 the red wolf was officially declared "extinct in the wild". The last red wolves were bred in captivity and by 1987 a plan to reintroduce the species into one of its natural habitats in Northeastern North Carolina was launched at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the Dare County mainland, only a few miles from the Outer Banks.
Some early setbacks were suffered when two of the wolves released at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge were killed by motorists and pups born in the wild succumbed to external and internal parasites. Subsequent releases were staged at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Tyrrell and Hyde counties. Today in northeastern North Carolina roughly 100 red wolves roam free at three national wildlife refuges, one U. S. Bombing Range and 200,000 acres of private land, in all on more than 1.5 million acres. Approximately 150 other red wolves are still in captivity. The goal of the Red Wolf Coalition is to double those numbers, releasing 220 wolves into the wild and raising up to 330 in captivity. The Red Wolf Recovery Program at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is the first time a species that was once extinct in the wild, though alive in captivity, has been released back into the wild successfully in the United States.
Red wolves are important to the eco-system because they assist in regulating deer populations preying on the weakest members of the herd, enabling the stronger, fitter animals to thrive. By reducing the population of rabbits, raccoons, opossums and nutria, which in large numbers can destroy indigenous plants, red wolves create harmony and bring balance to the natural order. Much more slender than its grey wolf cousin, the red wolf does not weigh much more than a medium-sized dog. Adult red wolves may range between 45 and 80 pounds and grow to 4.5 to 5.5 feet, longer and therefore leaner than domestic canines. Contrary to widespread beliefs about wolves in general, red wolves are timid, avoid contact with people and do not attack house pets, as they prefer to keep their distance from human scents.
The red wolf is at home in the eastern United States, north as far as Pennsylvania, south to Florida and west to Texas, in forest wetlands, coastal prairies and mountains, making its den in tree hollows, stream banks and sand knolls. Primarily nocturnal, the red wolf communicates by facial expressions, body language, scent marking and howling.
Red wolves feed on small mammals, rodents, insects and berries. They hunt alone or in small packs, which fluctuate in membership with the availability of natural prey. Typically the alpha male and alpha female cluster with the three to five of their offspring of varying ages.
Recent successes celebrated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina Zoo include the May 2002 transfer
of two captive born pups to a wild mother at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
The organizations can track the animals to determine their success in the wild. Some wolves are collared when released. Others are tracked using conventional videography and thermal imaging, or thermography, which allows wolf trackers to "see" heat, which aids in locating wolves that would otherwise be invisible to the untrained eye.
The Red Wolf Coalition, headquartered in nearby Columbia, advocates for the long-term survival of the red wolf in the wild through awareness, education and outreach. Founded in 1997, the coalition currently partners with The USFWS, The Conservation Fund and North Carolina Department of Transportation with the goal of establishing a permanent Red Wolf Lookout and Education Center in the heart of red wolf country in Tyrrell County. One proposed site is near the Albemarle Sound at Palmetto-Peartree Preserve.
Ramp-up feasibility studies, one conducted by Cornell University, another commissioned by the Defenders of Wildlife, indicate that
in addition to balancing the ecosystem, the reintroduction of red wolves into northeastern North Carolina may also boost the region's economy. High percentages of potential eco-tourists surveyed expressed interest in visiting the area if red wolves were present. Survey results project as much as $170 million annually in revenues generated from extended visits to the area. These numbers, however, are contingent upon the education of local landowners, residents and visitors.
But now, before the lookout and education center are developed, there is still a way to experience the incredible presence of the red wolves attend a Red Wolf Howling Safari in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. On the safari, a ranger will lead you deep into the darkness of the refuge and tell you all you need to know about the red wolves. And you will hear the wolves howl. Once you've heard that eerie howl, you'll never forget the incredible journey of the red wolf.
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