The red wolf is a medium-sized carnivore, smaller than the gray wolf but larger than the coyote. Its appearance is distinctive yet subtle: a rusty or cinnamon-colored coat mixed with gray and black tones, long legs built for endurance, and a lean, athletic body. The muzzle and ears are often tinged with red, giving the species its name. Its eyes, usually amber or golden, reflect an alert intelligence and quiet confidence—a creature finely tuned to its environment.

Behaviorally, red wolves are intelligent, social, and cooperative animals. They live in packs typically made up of a breeding pair and their offspring, usually numbering between five and eight individuals. Pack structure is tight-knit, centered around family bonds, and every member has a role—from hunting to caring for pups. Unlike gray wolves that hunt large ungulates in open terrain, Red Wolves specialize in smaller prey, such as rabbits, raccoons, rodents, and occasionally deer. Their hunting style is elegant and strategic—they move silently through dense forests and coastal marshes, relying on stealth and teamwork rather than brute force.

Historically, the red wolf once roamed across nearly the entire southeastern U.S., but the species suffered catastrophic declines during the 20th century due to habitat loss, persecution, and hybridization with coyotes. By the 1970s, Red Wolves were declared functionally extinct in the wild. Only a small number survived in captivity, prompting one of the most ambitious wildlife recovery programs ever undertaken. In 1987, after years of careful breeding, the first group of captive-born Red Wolves was reintroduced into Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, marking the first successful reintroduction of a large carnivore in North America. However, the red wolf’s story remains a turbulent one. In recent years, numbers have plummeted again, largely due to illegal shootings, habitat encroachment, and renewed coyote hybridization. As of today, fewer than 20 known red wolves roam freely in the wild, all in coastal North Carolina, making it one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

United States

20-30

Official estimate

CR

2018

Reintroduced: North Carolina