Native to North America, the red wolf once ranged throughout the entire southeastern U.S. from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, as far north as southern Ontario and west to southern Missouri and central Texas.

Today, North Carolina’s Albemarle Peninsula is home to the only confirmed wild red wolves in existence. While red wolves play a vital and unique biological role within their ecosystem, the species has declined more than 85 percent in the last …

Red wolves inhabit upland and bottomland forests, coastal prairies, swamps and marshes. These animals require dense vegetation to protect denning sites and resting areas. The red wolf is secretive and mostly nocturnal with much of its activity …

Red wolves in North Carolina are remarkable as they were the first species to be reintroduced from extinction – an incredible feat that hasn’t been replicated. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) began the Red Wolf Recovery Program to capture any remaining wild red wolves for captive breeding in order to reintroduce them back into the ...

Did you know the only place you can see American red wolves in the wild is in northeastern North Carolina? Learn more about red wolves. The North Carolina Zoo provides large, natural areas away from the public eye for the reclusive red wolves to breed. Red wolf mates are paired based on genetics to produce healthy offspring.

Red Wolves are nocturnal and crepuscular, though they can occasionally be seen during the day if it is dark or otherwise cloudy. They do not generally feed or occur in packs, though perhaps groups of 3-4 may be present. Usually when seen in NC, they occur as …

EarthCam and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation are bringing you to the Red Wolf Center in Columbia, NC to get up close views of a pair of red wolves. Red wolves are rare and naturally shy animals, so it’s hard to view them in the wild, this camera gives viewers a way to see them move around and interact with each other right outside of ...

The 152,000-acre refuge in northeast North Carolina has successfully restored the critically endangered red wolves to the area through a captive breeding program. About 40 red wolves roam their native habitats in five northeastern North Carolina counties encompassing the refuge.

On December 5, 2024, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) took a crucial step forward in collaboration toward Red Wolf recovery efforts by adopting a resolution that supersedes previous state agency resolutions related to the species.

Our zoo and rescue center is one such organization that focuses on increasing the population of red wolves. For this, we have special programs that run throughout the year with the help of volunteers and field researchers.