The Wildlife Science Center (WSC) is the proud participant in the Species Survival Plan for the red wolf and for the Mexican gray wolf. Both were reduced to near extinction before public and private efforts to restore these predators.

The Wildlife Science Center is a proud participant in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the red wolf and the Mexican gray wolf. Both were reduced to near extinction before governmental and private efforts to restore them began. Conservation trapping efforts in the 1970's located only 14 reproductively viable red wolves and 7 Mexican gray wolves; these animals formed the base for all future endeavors to keep extinction at bay. In 1980, both animals were effectively considered extirpated from the wild. This meant that their survival would rely completely on captive facilities. Reintroduction projects for both Mexican gray and red wolves depend upon cooperators like the WSC to provide safe housing for education, exhibit, and breeding.

Captivity provides a safe arena where endangered animals can reproduce without encountering some of the problems of living in the wild (i.e. human-caused mortality: shooting, trapping, poisoning, or accidents involving vehicles or; natural mortality: disease, starvation, interspecific strife and intraspecific strife). It allows for research to better understand the needs of the endangered species and provides a safe haven to safeguard their small gene pools. It also allows for the wolves to become ambassadors of education which provides unique opportunities for those people who want to learn. Many endangered and threatened species throughout the world would simply not have survived without captive facilities to provide a safe place in this tumultuous time of conservation and progress.

WSC is also home to two New Guinea Highland dogs. Preliminary research has revealed that this wild dog is unique. The Center's provision of space is done so with the hopes that someday these wild dogs can be restored to their native land.

Mexican Gray Wolves
The committee that oversees the captive and wild populations of Mexican Wolves is made up of biologists, experts and caretakers from the public and private sector. The genetic relatedness of each wolf to all of the others is carefully mapped out, and breeding is controlled or prevented based upon the best genetic combinations of animals. Most of the science, techniques and strategies involved in this complicated program are a direct result of the ground breaking work done a decade before by the red wolf recovery team. Some of the unique challenges facing recovery projects that depend on captive wolves have to do with wolf tolerance for human activity. It is incredibly difficult to avoid some contact with animals that are cared for by humans. Once released, these wolves are not always sufficiently fearful of humans. Some become targets for illegal killing, still others are attracted to human activity and become nuisance animals. Since 1998, 59 Mexican wolves have been released into the wild. Twenty-six out of 59 have been recaptured because of location or behavior issues. The wolves have experienced 30% mortality, most of it human-caused. One wolf was killed by a mountain lion, and some (pups) have died from parvo virus. During this time, there have been 8 cases of wolves attacking domestic animals, 6 of which were fatal to the domestic animal (dogs, livestock). Eighteen wolves were removed in response to these losses.

It is exciting to be involved in both the red wolf and Mexican gray wolf efforts, and we hope you will all come to see these fascinating animals. For more information about the Mexican Wolf reintroduction effort, call us!

Red Wolf
Conservation of the red wolf has provided a template of methods useful for the captive management of many endangered species, their propagation, and their eventual release back into the wild. Collection and storage techniques for semen, artificial insemination, in-depth genetic studies, and research involving behavior, morphology and food habits have all evolved through trial and error with the red wolf program and have proven indispensable in the many facets of species restoration.

Restoration of red wolves has pioneered ways in which animals scheduled for release could be done so successfully and efficiently. Logically, animals showing intolerance to humans while in captivity would continue to show no tolerance towards them once released into the wild. It was found that certain pen configurations, proximity to an abundance of people, number of encounters with animal caretakers, etc... created animals that were habituated to human presence and therefore bad release candidates. Wolves not habituated to human activities enjoyed a higher survival rate than wolves daring to "trespass" near inhabited areas.

Further trial and error studies indicated that wolves released into a new area fared much better and remained near the release site longer when allowed to remain in an acclimation pen for an extended amount of time, thus becoming acclimated to the new surroundings. This type of a release is considered to be a "soft" release. It has repeatedly been incorporated into the repatriation of the red wolf back into the wild, and has subsequently been used in the return of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and the Mexican gray wolf in the southwestern United States.

Currently, there are approximately 80 - 100 red wolves in the wilds of eastern North Carolina at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Although the Recovery Plan has determined that three mainland release sites would be needed to successfully restore red wolves into part of their historic range, efforts will remain concentrated in eastern North Carolina while information is gathered regarding their interaction with their smaller cousin the coyote.