THE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER VOLUME 17, NO. 4 WINTER 2007 Features Special Issue Red Wolf Restoration: 2 Letter from the Executive Director 4 A 20-Year Journey of the Red Wolf Coalition Fall 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of the first release Kim Wheeler of red wolves back into the wild in northeastern North Hunter Education and Carolina. A look at the “early days” of the red wolf’s journey 20 Red Wolf Restoration provides perspective on the triumphant story of Canis rufus. David Denton

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Diane Hendry 25 Back from the Brink of Red Wolf FAQ Extinction: The Red Wolf 8 What is a red wolf? Where did red wolves Species Survival Program originally live? What does a red wolf look Will Waddell like? Learn the answers to these questions and more important facts about these beautiful creatures. 26 Red Wolf Learning Resources: Steve Grooms A Sampling for Teachers, Evelyn L. Mercer Non-formal Educators, Return to the Wild: The Cliff-hanger Parents and Students 11 Story of Red Wolf Recovery Mark MacAllister The red wolf program has been a lot like an Indiana Jones cliff-hanger film, full of narrow escapes. Today, in spite of all the close brushes with extinction, the red wolf is still with us. Departments Steve Grooms 3 From the Executive Director Free to Wander 15 Twenty years ago eight red wolves were released into 19 Tracking the Pack the wilds of northeastern North Carolina. Their release, the first reintroduction of a carnivore that had been declared extinct 21 Personal Encounters in the wild, solidified the red wolf’s place in the history books. 28 A Look Beyond David R. Rabon Jr. On The Cover Wolf images, left to right: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Evelyn L. Mercer, Greg Koch Photography (www.gkphotography.net) Sundial image: Getty Images Brad McPhee, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Letter from the Executive Director of the Red Wolf Coalition

by Kim Wheeler Publications Director Mary Ortiz Graphics Coordinator hat does the Red Wolf Coalition do?” I am frequently asked that Carissa L.W. Knaack “ question, and there’s no better way to begin an answer than with Consulting Editor the organization’s mission statement: The Red Wolf Coalition Mary Keirstead W advocates for the long-term survival of red wolf populations by teaching about Technical Editor the red wolf and by fostering public involvement in red wolf conservation. Seems L. David Mech clear to me, but what exactly is an advocate? What does an advocate do? Graphic Designer The dictionary says an advocate is one who speaks or writes in support or Tricia Austin defense of a person or a cause. The Coalition advocates through education— Special Publication Editor and Coordinator teaching people about red wolves and engaging them in the work of con- Cornelia Hutt serving wildlife and habitat. Our programs, informational materials and International Wolf (1089-683X) is published curricula are science-based, and our advocacy is grounded in truth and fact. quarterly and copyrighted, 2007, by the We rely on our partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) International Wolf Center, 12615 Co.Road 9, Red Wolf Recovery staff to offer up-to-date and accurate Minneapolis, MN 55441, USA. information about the recovery program and to give a e-mail: [email protected]. All rights firsthand account of the work being done in the field. reserved. The result is an increasing number of requests for red Publications agreement no. 1536338 wolf programs from private citizens, schools, community Membership in the International Wolf groups and private organizations. It’s good to be popular! Center includes a subscription to In celebration of our 10th anniversary, the Coalition International Wolf magazine, free admission has brought the International Wolf Center’s new world- to the Center, and discounts on programs class exhibit “Wolves and Wildlands in the 21st Century” and merchandise. • Lone Wolf memberships from its home in Minnesota to red wolf country in are U.S. $35 • Wolf Pack $60 • Wolf Columbia, North Carolina. This exhibit has enabled us to Associate $125 • Wolf Sponsor $500 teach visitors and local residents alike about the wolves • Alpha Wolf $1000. Canada and other Kim Wheeler countries, add U.S. $15 per year for airmail of North America and about the challenges of coexisting postage, $7 for surface postage. Contact the with these fascinating and complex predators. As the 21st century evolves, International Wolf Center, 1396 Highway more land will be developed and the human population will increase. Can we 169, Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA; e-mail: leave room on the landscape for wolves and other large carnivores? Will we? [email protected]; phone: 1-800-ELY-WOLF The Red Wolf Coalition renews its commitment to advocate for the long- International Wolf is a forum for airing term survival of red wolf populations in this, our 10th anniversary year and facts, ideas and attitudes about wolf-related in the 20th anniversary year of the red wolf’s return to its wild home in North issues. Articles and materials printed in Carolina. We will broaden our audiences, expand our programs and Web site, International Wolf do not necessarily reflect cultivate new partners including state and federal agencies and government the viewpoint of the International Wolf Center or its board of directors. entities, encourage new members to support our work, bring people to red wolf country— International Wolf welcomes submissions of and swat mosquitoes at our popular howling personal adventures with wolves and wolf photographs. Prior to submission of other safaris. And one day, our vision of a Red Wolf types of manuscripts, address queries to Center will become a reality! Mary Ortiz, publications director. We are proud of what we do, and we are International Wolf is printed entirely with grateful for the partnerships that have made soy ink on recycled and recyclable paper us a stronger, more focused organization. (text pages contain 20% post-consumer Those include our partnership with the waste, cover paper contains 10% post- International Wolf Center. We hope that this consumer waste). We encourage you issue of International Wolf will encourage to recycle this magazine. others throughout the nation and the world to PHOTOS: Unless otherwise noted, or join us in our efforts to keep the red wolf for- obvious from the caption or article text, ever wild in the southeastern United States.

photos are of captive wolves. Brad McPhee, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

2 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org INTERNATIONAL From the Executive Director WOLF CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nancy jo Tubbs Chair Dr. L. David Mech Milestones Matter Vice Chair ilestones matter. Without them we lose perspective and the relevance of the mile- Dr. Rolf O. Peterson stone to our day-to-day work. Marking 20 years of red wolf recovery in the wilds Secretary of North Carolina is surely a conservation milestone that deserves reflection. Paul B. Anderson M Treasurer Perhaps foremost we should take the moment to celebrate the decision to save a species from extinction. Can there be any higher calling than saving from oblivion a fellow passenger on Dr. Larry Anderson spaceship earth? The Red Wolf Recovery Program also paved the way through its practices Cree Bradley and personnel to further wolf recovery in other parts of the country, nowhere more so than Tom Dwight in Yellowstone National Park. These successes, in turn, have given other species recovery Amy Bromberg Funk programs around the globe reason to be optimistic that their work can be accomplished too. Nancy Gibson A hearty howl of congratulations to all the people behind the program and especially Hélène Grimaud to the Red Wolf Coalition, which marks its own milestone of 10 years of advocacy and Jim Hammill educational work. Cornelia “Neil” Hutt On a personal level I recently crossed a milestone of my own. In Dean Johnson September, I marked 14 years of service as executive director of the Linda Lemke International Wolf Center. It has been a great ride, full of wonderful wolf Dania Miwa experiences. None was better than standing on the tarmac in 1995, Mike Phillips watching a small plane with its cargo of wolves bank against the backdrop Debbie Reynolds of the snow-capped Canadian Rockies, heading south for Idaho and Jerry Sanders Yellowstone, where a great experiment would return wolves to America’s Karen Saul Northern Rockies. Equally satisfying has been the opportunity to meet Paul Schurke dedicated people from all over the globe who play a part in the complex Paul Sletten world of wolves—whether Dr. Djuro Huber from Croatia, who had to deal Ted Spaulding with unexploded mines while conducting his research, or Tungalagtuya Teri Williams Khuukhendu of Mongolia, whose magnificent native dress brightened the Walter Medwid meeting rooms at one of our international wolf conferences. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I start a new adventure this fall as I leave the International Wolf Center and head to Vermont to assume the position of executive director of Northwoods Stewardship Center, Walter M. Medwid an organization focused on land stewardship, environmental education, conservation MISSION science and outdoor recreation. The mountains, farms, fields and forests of the region and the challenges of a new job beckon me east. Leaving the Center is no small decision. The International Wolf Never have I worked for an organization with so many dedicated, hard-working staff Center advances the survival and volunteers. Together we have created a powerful synergy, bringing intention, creativity of wolf populations by and success to efforts on behalf of wolf survival. teaching about wolves, their Wolves matter too. They represent so perfectly the elegant mechanisms that evolve relationship to wildlands and the within natural systems. Prey populations are healthy because of predator pressure. human role in their future. Healthy prey populations keep predators keen. Because humans play such a dominant role in the world today, it’s easy to dismiss the Educational services and remarkable complexities of natural systems and the vast time frames in which those systems informational resources developed. Wolves matter in and of themselves, but because they and other predators play are available at: such a pivotal role within natural systems, they matter even more. 1396 Highway 169 They say that anyone who plants a tree is an optimist. The same holds true for those Ely, MN 55731-8129, USA who work to keep wolves on the landscape. 1-800-ELY-WOLF Thanks for your optimism and for your support of the International Wolf Center. 1-218-365-4695 Happy howling to you all! e-mail address: [email protected] Web site: http://www.wolf.org

International Wolf Winter 2007 3 Greg Koch Red Wolf Restoration

Greg Koch A 20-Year Journey by DIANE HENDRY

ALL 2007 MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY of the first Frelease of red wolves back into the wild in northeastern North Carolina. The red wolf roamed a large portion of the southeastern United States as a top predator for centuries until aggressive control programs, habitat loss and interbreeding with coyotes eliminated the animal from nearly all of its former range. Restoring the species was not easy. Officially designated as extinct in the wild in 1980, the red wolf’s path to

Ryan Nordsven, U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service recovery has been long and has required multifaceted coordination among scientists, government agen- The red wolf roamed a large cies, private landowners and communities. A look at portion of the the “early days” of the red wolf’s journey provides southeastern perspective on the triumphant story of Canis rufus. United States as a top predator History for centuries until aggressive control The red wolf was first described in 1791 by scientist programs, habitat William Bartram and lived principally in the south- loss and inter- eastern United States. By 1962, however, sightings breeding with of red wolves were nearly nonexistent. Human howls coyotes eliminated them from were not getting a response. Scat evidence was nil. And nearly all of their where were the tracks? The elusive and wary red wolf former range. no longer roamed its familiar territory. How could this have happened? How could a top predator have reached the brink of extinction without anyone’s noticing? The reasons are many, but the important fact is that during the 1960s, the scientific community did notice—but not until it was almost too late. Evelyn L. Mercer

4 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org 2007 Restoration Area

Action was needed. Two impor- Restoration techniques were proven The restoration area encompasses tant developments made the race to work, at least at this site, and in 1.7 million acres in northeastern against extinction possible: 1978, the experiment was declared North Carolina in five counties: The red wolf was listed as an a success. So that recovery efforts Dare, Tyrrell, Washington, Beaufort endangered species under provi- could proceed, the red wolf was and Hyde. sions of the Endangered Species declared extinct in the wild in 1980. Preservation Act (1967). Meanwhile, during that year, genetic Over 60 percent of restoration area The Endangered Species Act became research supported the designation is privately owned land. federal law (1973), with various of Canis rufus as a distinct species. measures built in that recognized During the next decade, red Three national wildlife refuges are landowners’ needs while protecting wolf restoration focused on three contained within its boundaries: red wolves and mandating active key efforts: getting approval for the Alligator River, Pocosin Lakes, and recovery programs. updated and revised Red Wolf Mattamuskeet. These legislative actions provided Recovery Plan, incor- a framework for the U.S. Fish and porating the red wolf Approximately 120 wild red wolves Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop into the American call the area home. a plan to save the species. But first Zoological Asso- the agency had to answer these ques- ciation’s Species tions: Were any red wolves left, and Survival Plan, and if so, where had they gone? In the late searching for a future North 17 1960s, biologists traced the last red red wolf release site. Carolina wolves to the Gulf Coast of western In 1984, a generous Louisiana and eastern Texas. The land donation to the 64 region provided only marginal USFWS by Prudential TYRRELL WASHINGTON DARE habitat with minimal prey, but it Insurance Company afforded the red wolf haven from became the Alligator BEAUFORT systematic persecution. River National Wild- HYDE 264 As the plan progressed, USFWS life Refuge (ARNWR) 17 wildlife biologists established criteria in eastern North to distinguish the red wolf species Carolina. The red from other wild canids. From 1974 wolf had a new home to 1980, over 400 animals were in the wild. trapped from the remnant population ARNWR was just and evaluated for red wolf morpho- what the scientists had logical characteristics. The results in mind. Surrounded were astonishing: only 17 pure red on three sides by Raleigh wolves were among the 400. Of water, the refuge provided habitat North Carolina these, 14 were selected as founders well suited to red wolf needs. Prey inset area for the captive breeding population. was abundant, and the sparse human shown above Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium population surrounding the refuge (PDZA) in Tacoma, Washington, was was mostly rural. Nevertheless, local selected as the site for captive support of red wolf restoration was management and continues coordi- necessary. For approximately one year, nating the program for the USFWS the USFWS conducted public meet- today, thus celebrating its 30th-year ings in Dare County combined with anniversary as a red wolf partner. education programs. This successful Fortunately, in 1977 a litter of red outreach effort paved the way for wolf pups was born at PDZA, and the first release of four pairs of within a year, scientists were ready captive-born red wolves in ARNWR to experiment with a release. They in 1987. It is worth noting that a 1995 selected Bulls Island off the South North Carolina State University survey Carolina coast for this initial trial. showed the majority of eastern North The Bulls Island red wolves were Carolina residents in support of red set free, tracked and recaptured. wolf restoration.

International Wolf Winter 2007 5 The red wolf The captive The first The last red is listed as an breeding center litter of red wolves are Brief Historic Time Line for endangered at Point Defiance wolf pups removed from species under Zoo and Aquarium is born at the wild. The red the Endangered Red Wolf the Endangered (PDZA) acquires PDZA. wolf is declared Species Preser- first red wolf. officially extinct vation Act. in the wild.

1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982

The red The U.S. Fish and The Endangered Red wolves are wolf is Wildlife Service Species Act successfully recognized begins study of the becomes federal released on as being in red wolf in south- law. The first red Bulls Island, danger of eastern Texas and wolf recovery plan South Carolina. extinction. southwestern is completed, and Louisiana. implementation begins.

Also in 1987, Bulls Island was captive population also increased as selected as the first island propagation additional facilities throughout the site, a project designed to offer red country were approved for participa- wolves time and freedom to acclimate tion in the Red Wolf Species Survival in the wild prior to release on the Program (SSP). Public support for mainland. Then in 1988, the first litter the reintroduction effort grew and of red wolf pups was born in the wild was documented by a 1996 Cornell at ARNWR. In 1989 a second restora- University economic study showing

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tion project began potential tourism benefits from red with the release of wolf presence as well as public will- red wolves into the ingness to pay for recovery efforts far rugged landscape of exceeding the cost of the program. An the Great Smoky East Carolina University study that Mountains National same year reported similar results. Park (GSMNP). But 1998 ushered in a period of During these years, setbacks. The GSMNP reintroduction the second genera- project was cancelled because of tion of red wolf pups low pup survival and the inability was born at ARNWR, of wolves to establish home ranges and another “first” within the perimeter of the park. made quiet headlines: Meanwhile, the highly mobile and the birth of healthy adaptable coyote, a non-native of pups, conceived by the East, found its way to North

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service artificial insemina- Carolina—and to the red wolf tion, at PDZA. recovery area. In 1999, a team of Top: Jennifer Gilbreath The red wolf scientists and wolf experts deter- collects a scat sample. population in the mined that hybridization with the The samples are used for genetic testing and wild expanded at coyote posed the greatest threat to species identification. both the ARNWR red wolf recovery. An adaptive and GSMNP sites. management plan was initiated to Above and right: Chris Lucash inserts a Then in 1992, red deal with this crisis and to find a captive-born pup into wolves were released solution to the problem. a den to be raised into the Pocosin Today, coyote–red wolf issues by the wild parents Lakes National Wild- such as hybridization, home range along with their own life Refuge, not far challenges, prey-base competition and offspring. “Fostering” infuses new genes into from Alligator River. illegal shootings all challenge the the wild population And that year, the biologists of the Red Wolf Recovery and promotes the first wild red wolf staff. Differentiating between coyotes survival and viability pups were born in and endangered red wolves can be of the red wolf. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the “Smokys.” The difficult, especially with the recent

6 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org Four pairs of captive-born A second restora- Red wolves are Scientists and experts determine One of the wolves are released in the tion project is released in Pocosin hybridization with coyotes to 2002 fostered ARNWR. An island propagation started in Great Lakes National be the greatest threat to wolves site is established on Bulls Smoky Mountains Wildlife Refuge recovery of the red wolf. fathers a litter Island, South Carolina, to accli- National Park (PLNWR). First An Adaptive Management of eight pups. mate wolves to the wild before (GSMNP). pups are born Plan is developed to address mainland release. in the GSMNP. and manage hybridization.

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

The Red Wolf Recovery The first wild Second-generation pups The GSMNP The entire North One hundred to 130 wild Plan is revised, litter of pups is are born in the wild in the reintroduc- Carolina red wolf red wolves roam 1.7 million updated and approved. born in the ARNWR. The first litter of tion project population is wild acres in northeastern North The Alligator River ARNWR. pups via artificial insemi- is canceled. born except for two Carolina. Over 170 exist National Wildlife nation is born at PDZA. pups born at North in captive populations. Refuge (ARNWR) is Carolina Zoo and Adaptive management is established. fostered into a wild working to control the den, where they coyote population in are raised by wild the recovery area. wolf parents.

trend of transporting coyotes into the eggs of ground-nesting birds have state to train dogs for fox hunting. a better chance of survival due to the The loss of a red wolf, particularly a red wolf’s appetite for nest-raiding healthy breeder, provides opportu- mammals. Additionally, local econo- May, and monitoring the health and nity for a coyote to move in, thus mies are enhanced as visitors travel to expansion of the red wolf population. upsetting a pack’s social structure red wolf country to attend summer and possibly its genetic integrity. howling safaris, view exhibits and The Future Therefore, coyote management in the participate in education programs. In the future, genetics research will recovery area remains a top priority become increasingly sophisticated. for field biologists, who employ Management Monitoring the displacement of various control and monitoring Red wolves are still managed at coyotes by red wolves in the recovery methods such as radio tracking, live- four levels: population, gene pool, area will continue, and data from trapping and sterilization. Evidence family groups and individuals. Within special transmitters implanted in suggests that as red wolf numbers the framework of these management pups will yield valuable dispersal increase, coyote presence decreases. objectives, primary recovery goals information. A possible second red Several years after the restoration are to maintain the strength of the wolf recovery area will be considered. program began, an important present wild red wolf population and The future of this species lies in the achievement was documented: the to increase the num- public’s support and commitment to entire red wolf population in north- ber of wild wolves the long-term restoration of the endan- eastern North Carolina was wild to 220 and the gered red wolf in the Southeast. As born except for two pups born at the number of captive the Red Wolf Coalition celebrates North Carolina Zoo, which were wolves to 330. The its 10th anniversary in 2007, the successfully fostered to wild adults. cooperative efforts education and outreach partnership “Fostering” is yet another red wolf of agencies, organiza- between the Coalition and the management milestone. Captive-born tions and individuals USFWS will be vitally important. pups are inserted into wolf dens to be are necessary to ensure raised by the wild parents along the long-term survival Diane Hendry is the with their own offspring. Fostering of the endangered U.S. Fish and Wildlife infuses new genes into the wild popu- red wolf. Service Red Wolf lation and promotes the survival and Biologists conduct Recovery Team viability of the red wolf as one of two frequent field surveys Outreach Coordinator. species of wolves in North America. that include following Red wolves benefit the restoration miles of red wolf tracks, region in many ways. For instance, as employing ground and top predators, they play a key role aerial telemetry to locate in ecosystem balance. Because they radio-collared wolves, Wildlife biologist tend to cull weak or otherwise vulner- collecting scat samples for Michael Morse uses ground able deer, some landowners report genetic testing and species telemetry to “healthier and larger deer populations” identification, searching for locate radio-

since the arrival of the red wolf. The pup litters during April and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collared red wolves.

International Wolf Winter 2007 7 Greg Koch Red Wolf FAQ by STEVE GROOMS

What is a red wolf? A great many facts about red wolves are contro- versial and mysterious, including this most basic question. Some scientists think the red wolf is a species of wolf that is native to the southeastern seaboard of North America, and that preceded the evolution of the gray wolf. Aren’t there many species of wolves?

Evelyn L. Mercer No. Current thinking is that there are two, three or four. In spite of the many names for different kinds of wolves—buffalo wolves, McKenzie Valley wolves, timber wolves and so forth—those are all subtypes of the gray wolf. The gray wolf is the common wolf of North America, Europe and Asia. The red wolf is a different species, which might be the same as the eastern Canadian wolf, another possible species (see below). Some authorities believe the Ethiopian wolf is another species of wolf, although others believe it’s a jackal. Where did red wolves originally live? Evelyn L. Mercer Red wolves once lived and hunted an area that Many scientists used to believe largely overlaps the states of the Confederacy of the that the red wolf was a hybrid, a cross between the gray wolf and 1860s. That area extends from central Texas all the coyote. Scientific opinion is still along the coast through Florida and as far north divided on whether the red wolf as southern New England, including some parts has existed as a distinct and unique of Pennsylvania and Ohio (see map). One of the species in North America for at most intriguing areas to be explored is the question least 150,000 years. of how far north red wolves lived. The wolf that

8 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org currently lives in Canada’s Algonquin Park in eastern Canada, once thought to be a type of gray wolf, bears a great resemblance to the red wolf. Analysis of the DNA of that eastern Canadian wolf and the red wolf show them to be very closely related and possibly essentially the same species. Are red wolves a species or hybrid? Many scientists used to believe that the red wolf was a hybrid, not a species, being a cross between the gray wolf and the coyote. Scientific opinion is still divided on whether the red wolf has existed as a distinct and unique species in North America for at least 150,000 years. What do red wolves look like? The red wolf is a beautiful animal. Approximate original range of the red wolf. Red wolves are mostly brown, buff and cinnamon in color. Most have some black along the back and often pair and several offspring of various Mattamuskeet National Wildlife some red on the head, ears and legs. years. Only the primary adult pair Refuge. A few wild red wolves live Compared to gray wolves, red breeds. The pack size is usually five as breeding populations on islands wolves are leggy and delicate. They to eight individuals, and this group that are too small to sustain larger have sharper, longer muzzles and of wolves works as a tightly knit populations. Additionally, many red prominent, pointed ears. Their fur is group to find food, defend territory wolves live in zoos, often in captive not as heavy as the pelage of gray and rear the pups. breeding programs. wolves, and their feet are smaller. Where are red wolves today? How many red wolves How big are they? Most wild red wolves inhabit a are alive now? The average adult male is 61 region of eastern North Carolina that The number varies as young are pounds, and the average female is 52 overlaps five counties and includes 1.7 born and as wolves die, but the wild pounds. Gray wolves range from 80 million acres (see map on page 5). red wolves in North Carolina usually to 120 pounds; coyotes, from 20 to 45 This area includes the Alligator River number about 100 to 130 individ- pounds; and red wolves, from 50 to National Wildlife Refuge, Pocosin uals. An additional 208 wolves live in 80 pounds. The red wolf stands about Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and zoos or captive breeding programs. 26 inches at the shoulder, comparable How has the red wolf restoration to a male German shepherd dog. program differed from the program What do red wolves eat? Many think the for gray wolves? Like any wolf, the red wolf feeds red wolf is an While gray wolves have lived opportunistically, taking what is continuously in at least some regions available. Today, that includes white- of North America, at one time all tailed deer, raccoons and such smaller ancient race of living red wolves were trapped and mammals as rabbits and nutrias. moved to a captive breeding program A red wolf consumes about two to wolves that in a desperate effort to save the species five pounds of food a day and can from extinction. The red wolf is travel up to 20 miles a day in search preceded the the first predator ever restored to the of food. They are carnivores. wild after existing only as a captive population. Moreover, the red wolf is Do red wolves live in packs? evolution of in danger of losing its genetic identity Red wolves live and hunt in family because it hybridizes with coyotes, groups, or “packs.” As with gray the gray wolf. which most gray wolves do not do. wolves, this unit is the adult breeding

International Wolf Winter 2007 9 Are red wolves a threat to humans? to be preserved, but beyond that the most wild red wolves live in just one There is no record of a red wolf ever act dictates that such important area. Above all, the biggest threat is harming a human. The red wolf is a species be sustained in the wild, not hybridization with coyotes. Red large predator and should be given the just in zoos. Moreover, it is desirable wolves will mate with coyotes, and respect with which we regard any to have ecological communities that the southeastern United States is wild predator, but red wolves are no are as complete as possible. The red now saturated with coyotes. That threat to humans. Since restoration to wolf was once an important member raises the constant specter of “genetic the wild, red wolves have lived with of the ecological community of the swamping,” the loss of distinctive, remarkably little conflict with humans. U.S. Southeast. It continues to play pure red wolf genes by mixing them that role, albeit in a small area now. with coyote genes. This problem is Why should these wolves be currently being addressed by aggres- restored and protected? What are the primary threats sive coyote control operations along The Endangered Species Act of to red wolves now? the interface between coyotes and 1973 calls for unique species to be Each year, intentionally or unin- wild red wolves in North Carolina. protected and restored in the wild, tentionally, some red wolves are killed Is the red wolf now safe? insofar as possible. The red wolf is a by humans. But the number is not unique type of wolf that may have a major threat to the long-term The red wolf once was extremely lived in North America for at least prospects for red wolves. Potentially, endangered but has been brought 150,000 years. Its genetic identity needs diseases such as mange, hookworm back to a status that seems more or and heart- less secure. Because red wolves are worm are a limited in number and only live freely threat since in one area, managers will need to exercise great care to preserve this unique and fascinating species. The future of the red wolf would be much more secure if other areas could be- come home to more wild red wolves. If genetic studies prove the wolf of eastern Canada is actually the same Evelyn L. Mercer International Wolf Center International Wolf as the red wolf, the genetic future of the species will be greatly enhanced. What are the most important next steps to secure the future of red wolves? First, managers must maintain the integrity of red wolf bloodlines by suppressing coyotes in the region where wild red wolves and coyotes encounter each other. Second, it is important to establish a Red Wolf Center facility to spread information and promote tolerance of red wolves. Third, we need to find other areas where red wolves can live in the wild.

Steve Grooms has been writing about wolves and wolf management since 1976. He is the author of the book Return of the Wolf, and he serves on International Wolf’s advisory committee. Evelyn L. Mercer Center International Wolf Compared to gray wolves (on right), red wolves are leggy and delicate. They have sharper, longer muzzles and prominent, pointed ears. Their fur is not as heavy as the pelage of gray wolves, and their feet are smaller.

10 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org Chris Crowe Return to theWild The Cliff-hanger Story of Red Wolf Recovery

by STEVE GROOMS

hen wildlife managers give In one sense, it was sheer luck progress reports on their that saved the red wolf from extinc- Wprograms, they typically tion in the 1960s. For decades, exude confidence. “Well, we face some federal policy had been to extirpate challenges,” they will report, “but wolves. That process had eradicated we’ve got this thing going the red wolves from all but a sliver of right way.” Sometimes, however, the vile habitat along the Texas and truth behind those blandly optimistic Louisiana Gulf Coast. reports is dramatic. The managers Then, just before the red wolf was never report about those nights they wiped out forever, more sophisticated stumble home after a disastrous day thinking about predators led to a The red wolf just barely and admit to anyone patient enough to stunning reversal. The animal that dodged the listen, “Oh man, I think we’ve had it.” had been considered a menace to be bullet of In the case of the red wolf program, eradicated would, under the new extinction, the drama could hardly have been program, be protected and managed not once but more gripping. The red wolf program as a critically endangered species. So several times. has been a lot like an Indiana abrupt was the change that for one Jones cliff-hanger film, full of narrow year the red wolf was listed as endan- escapes from situations that looked gered while federal agents continued like sure death. The red wolf just to trap and destroy them. If manage- barely dodged the bullet of extinction, ment had drifted for another decade

Evelyn L. Mercer not once but several times. before the great change, the red wolf

International Wolf Winter 2007 11 would probably have been pushed off of the most reviled species on earth. the cliff of extinction. They could not be sure that wolves Studies done in the 1960s revealed would survive the transition from zoo that humans weren’t the only threat life in captivity to life in the wild. No to red wolves. The new and more predator species had ever been insidious threat was hybridization. successfully restored. This decision Red wolves were mating with coy- was a massive gamble analogous to otes. After passage of the federal putting a man dying of cancer in a Endangered Species Act of 1973, cryogenic chamber, hoping that some managers tried to save the red wolf day the technology for thawing and from being genetically swamped curing him would appear. with coyote genes. Agents trapped And then things got worse. When Chris Crowe and destroyed coyotes in the last managers began examining the 400 remaining red wolf habitat. or so “wolves” they managed to trap Many people—wildlife That effort failed. The supply of and confine, they saw the taint of biologists, agency officials, coyotes was virtually endless. The coyote blood in many. They culled situation was so dire that it seemed away dubious wolves until there were wildlife managers, the red wolf was doomed to dis- just 43. But there was no test to indi- appear as a distinct species. That cate which of those animals were researchers, citizens— drove managers to an extreme pure wolves. Managers went through have been instrumental in remedy. They would save the red wolf a second anguishing round of culling. from extinction by trapping all As managers destroyed the animals red wolf recovery. Their remaining wolves and putting them suspected of being hybrids they in captive breeding centers. had to worry if they were killing names and their specific Consider how desperate that was. authentic red wolves—one of the contributions would be Removing the last free red wolves most endangered species in North was the opposite of the intent of the America. After the last cull there were listed here if space Endangered Species Act. Red wolves just 17 wolves, only 14 of which were might be saved from genetic extinc- able to breed. permitted. To represent tion but at the price of being lost When those red wolves began all the heroes of red wolf from the wild. Managers could not be reproducing, managers were faced sure that it would ever be politically with daunting problems. Where could recovery, International Wolf possible to reintroduce wolves, one they reintroduce red wolves to the has chosen red wolf recovery PioneersPioneers ofof RedRed WolfWolf pioneers Curtis Carley, Glynn Riley, Roy McBride, Warren Glynn Riley An outdoorsman and trapper Curtis Carley Parker and Mike Phillips. who worked on a coyote control In the early 1970s, Carley led International Wolf salutes program in south Texas, the red wolf recovery project. them and all the men and Riley realized that red wolves Realizing the animal was on were fast disappearing because the verge of extinction, he women who have devoted a of inbreeding with coyotes, recommended removing the great portion of their lives starvation and disease. Riley last red wolves from the Texas and energies to saving the urged radio-collaring and and Louisiana coast, breeding tracking to determine how them in captivity and finding red wolf from extinction many red wolves remained on a place to reintroduce their and returning it to freedom. the southeastern Texas coast. offspring in the wild.

12 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org And then a few wild-born wolves began rearing their own young. With that, the red wolf made the treacherous passage from zoo-born dummies to wild wolves. The wild-born pups of wild-born wolves were the real deal.

wild? It had to be a place where coyote-free peninsula. The presence As expected, mortality rates were humans would accept them, if such a of water on three sides reduced the high. Wolves were hit by cars, had place existed. And it had to be a place chances that wolves would run away accidents, drowned, succumbed to where coyotes wouldn’t hybridize or that coyotes would enter the disease, hung out around humans or with the red wolf, although coyotes restoration area. just disappeared. About 80 percent are ubiquitous in the former range The first reintroduction release of the reintroduced wolves died of the red wolf. happened in 1987. That began shortly after being released. The next challenges to the pro- another harrowing time for the red In spite of that, managers kept gram were legal and political. wolf program. In spite of determined releasing more captive-bred wolves. Managers struggled to find an area optimism by managers, everyone Eventually, a few wolves survived long where people would tolerate wolves. knew that the wolves faced daunting enough to mate and raise young. And Meanwhile, critical changes had to odds against survival. It takes more then a few wild-born wolves began be made to the Endangered Species than claws and teeth to survive as rearing their own young. With that, Act, which was so rigid in its original a predator. Above all, what is required the red wolf made the treacherous form that it imposed a straight jacket is knowledge. Wild wolves have to passage from zoo-born dummies to on restoration programs. know how to find and kill food. They wild wolves. The wild-born pups of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must know what animals or objects wild-born wolves were the real deal. finally found a place to release a few are life-threatening. They need to Just when it looked like the wolves. The Alligator River National know to avoid humans. The reintro- program was a success, disaster Wildlife Refuge release site was a duced wolves were dangerously naive. struck again. In the mid-1990s, RecoveryRecovery

Warren Parker Parker ran one of the boldest and most innovative wildlife projects ever undertaken. Roy McBride The first Endangered Species Mike Phillips A skilled trapper, McBride Coordinator in the United From 1986 to 1994, Phillips caught canids in western States, Parker was Red Wolf was Coordinator of Field Louisiana and eastern Texas Coordinator of the U.S. Fish Projects for the Red Wolf when the all-out effort was and Wildlife Service’s red Recovery Program. He serves being made to capture red wolf reintroduction project on the International Wolf wolves for captive breeding. starting in 1984. Center’s board of directors.

International Wolf Winter 2007 13 coyotes began infiltrating the recovery Although Indiana Jones almost The Red Wolf Recovery Program area, and wolves began breeding with dies about twenty times in each of his has been granted the Association coyotes. While program leaders films, somehow he is always alive of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) maintained determined optimism when the final reel has run and they in public, some insiders believed roll the credits. Today, in spite of 2007 North American that the red wolf program was all the close brushes with extinction, Conservation Award. This doomed. It hadn’t been possible to the red wolf is still with us. Don’t prestigious award recognizes keep wolves and coyotes apart in the let anyone suggest it was easy! the outstanding work of the 1970s, and now it was proving just Species Survival Plan, the island as difficult to keep coyotes from Steve Grooms has been writing about obliterating the red wolf species wolves and wolf management since 1976. propagation efforts, the restoration through hybridization. He is the author of the book Return of of the wild population, the ongoing Just in time, in 1999 managers the Wolf, and he serves on International scientific research and more. crafted a new management protocol Wolf’s advisory committee. Will Waddell, Coordinator of called “adaptive management.” It the Species Survival Plan (SSP) focused intensive control on coyotes in the zone where they were most Wildlife biologists do a workup on a red wolf. for the red wolf, accepted the likely to encounter wolves. In spite A workup includes taking blood samples for award in Philadelphia in genetic testing and to assess health, taking of the discouraging precedent, this measurements (e.g., weight and body, limb mid-September 2007. new protocol succeeded, and the and ear length), looking at overall condition program survived another crisis. and attaching a radio collar. U.S. Fish and Wildlife

14 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chris Crowe Free to Wander by DAVID R. RABON JR. he conservation of an endangered National Wildlife Refuge was anyone’s guess. species is a slow, incremental process, They had never experienced life outside of Tand the story of red wolf (Canis rufus) a pen, and their release would be the first of restoration is no exception. Many successes its kind. and failures have occurred throughout four Born and raised in captivity, the wolves were decades of red wolf conservation, but the healthy adults ranging from 3 to 6 years of effort has moved steadily forward, never age. Some, including males 140M and 227M losing its momentum. and females 196F and 194F, were experienced Following the unprecedented and precar- and proven breeders. Their role in this endeavor ious attempt to save the species by removing would be to sire and whelp pups in the the few remaining red wolves from the wild, wild. The others, males 184M and 211M and the birth of a litter of pups in captivity 30 females 231F and 205F, were chosen because years ago was a victory in the struggle to they exhibited a wildness the biologists hoped recover the species. Ten years later another would contribute to their survival. important milestone occurred in the recovery Upon arrival at the refuge, the wolves were of the red wolf and ultimately in the conser- paired, radio-collared and placed in a pen, vation of other imperiled carnivores. each named for its location. Wolves 184M and “Nov. 12 1986 — Wolves arrived today, 205F were penned at Point Peter; 227M and numerous media personnel.” A short entry in 194F were placed at Phantom Road; 140M a biologist’s field notes marked the arrival of and 231F were positioned at Pole Road but eight red wolves that would soon be released later transferred to South Lake; and 211M and into the wilds of northeastern North Carolina. 196F, first placed at South Lake, were later The wolves, four male-female pairs, would moved to Pole Road. The wolves’ new home represent a new chapter in the species’ recovery. was similar in many ways to the captive envi- How these wolves would respond when set ronment in which they had spent their entire free to wander the pocosins, agricultural fields lives. The difference would be in their ability and forested swamps of the Alligator River to leave it.

International Wolf Winter 2007 15 Red wolves were first released in the Alligator The wolves took to exploring the River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern refuge and, to the dismay of the biol- North Carolina in 1987. The refuge contains diverse habitats, including several types of ogists, the nearby communities. By wetland, which are home to numerous mid-October, the new South Lake wildlife species, such as black bears and male (140M) had ventured into a wading birds. small town east of the refuge.

Chris Crowe Scrambling to prevent an incident, That opportunity came on the biologists set out to capture him. September 14, 1987. After a lifetime The South Lake male was eventually in captivity and 10 months in a pen tranquilized and returned to his on the refuge, the first of the red pen, but not before ambling around wolf pairs was set free. In contrast to the post office and a few homes and the excitement generated by the creating quite a stir among town wolves’ arrival in northeastern North residents. Carolina, there was no media fanfare To limit the wolves’ roving, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the release. new South Lake pair was relocated The new South Lake and released at a site in the southern wolves (140M and 231F) portion of the refuge, where they were the first to be set remained until mid-December when free, but they didn’t the female was found dead on the immediately take advan- bank of Pamlico Sound. The necropsy tage of their new inde- report attributed her death to pendence. For several “pleural effusion and internal days the wolves seemed bleeding,” most likely the result of an reluctant to venture unknown infection. The new South outside of the pen. Lake female was the first mortality Eventually, though, they following the release. Sadly, she took their first steps would not be the last. of freedom—first the Meanwhile, the other wolves were female, then the male. also moving around the landscape. Chris Crowe The other releases The new Pole Road pair (211M and occurred about two 196F) traveled toward the Phantom weeks later, on October Road male (227M), who had re- 1. One by one, the pens mained in the vicinity of his pen. His at Point Peter, Pole mate, the Phantom Road female Road, and Phantom (194F), had taken to frequenting Road were opened. After private property, like the South Lake a century’s absence, red male. Abandoned by his mate, the wolves were once again Phantom Road male was left to vie roaming coastal North for his territory alone against the new Carolina. Pole Road pair. Eventually, the And roam they did. Phantom Road female was recap- tured and reunited with her mate Chris Crowe Chris Crowe back in their pen. But the new Pole Road pair remained in the area. When red wolves were reintroduced in 1987, Sometime around Christmas day they were first placed in (1987), the Phantom Road female pens, such as the one and the Pole Road pair got into a shown here, before being clash through the pen fence. The released to the wild. Phantom Road female was severely injured in the process and had to be euthanized. The death of the two females and the disruption of the two wolf pairs during winter 1987 took its toll U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

16 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org on the reintroduction effort. In an days later (May 29) the Point Peter tion there were 30 free-ranging attempt to restore the balance, the male was killed when struck by a wolves in northeastern North biologists released two female vehicle, as was the new South Lake Carolina. wolves, a yearling (322F) and a two- male in mid-June (June 15). And In the years following the initial year-old (300F), in spring 1988. later that year (December 27), the release, wild litters would be born of Although these wolves would be new Pole Road male died when he wild-born wolves, and the release of released too late in the breeding suffocated on the kidney of a raccoon captive-born adult wolves would season to find mates and reproduce, he was devouring. end. The original eight wolves may the biologists remained optimistic Naturally, with so many losses, not have contributed to the program for the birth of wild red wolves from more wolves would be needed for the in terms of reproduction. But their the other wolf pairs. program to continue. In the ensuing release, the first reintroduction of a Their optimism was rewarded on years, more captive-born wolves carnivore that had been declared April 28, when the Point Peter female would be set free, and with these extinct in the wild, solidified the (205F) gave birth to a single female releases came the formation of new red wolf’s place in the history books. pup (351F). A second pup, a female pairs and the birth of pups. In 1989, The red wolf reintroduction effort (344F), born to the new Pole Road the Phantom Road male was paired also became a model for reintro- pair followed on May 5. Although the with the Point Peter female and ducing other imperiled species. With litters consisted of only one pup each produced a litter of four pups. After that, it is impossible to deny the (a typical litter is four to six pups), the death of the Phantom Road male contribution these first eight wolves the biologists were elated over the in September 1989, the Point Peter made in preserving the future of the wild births. More than a decade had female paired with a newly released, species and other species like it. passed since the last red wolf pup island-born male (331M). They pro- was born in the wild. Their excite- duced a litter in 1991, one of four David R. Rabon Jr. is an endangered ment, though, would be tempered by wild litters whelped that year. The species biologist with the U.S. Fish even more loss. reintroduction effort was taking off; and Wildlife Service in Raleigh, North The new Pole Road female died on five short years into the reintroduc- Carolina, and a Ph.D. candidate at North May 25, 1988, succumbing to a Carolina State University, where he is studying factors affecting social and uterine infection following the birth reproductive behaviors of red wolves. of her pup a few weeks earlier. Four Ryan Nordsven, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

International Wolf Winter 2007 17 INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER Major Contributors and Special Gifts

JUNE—AUGUST 2007

Major Donna Mack-Iwanski Memorials In memory of my Matching Terra et Educare “little brother” Ron: Foundation Donors Bud Lackie In memory of Gifts and Howard and Marcee Lynn Barbara Turner Foundations Thomson West Camilla Alton Dr. Mitchell Hanson: Macenski In memory of Ameriprise Financial Employee Giving Dena Arntzen Walter G. Alliss Jr. Widgie and Dugan: Employee Giving Campaign Dr. L. David Mech Program on behalf of: on behalf of: Toxie Beavers In memory of Lakota: Christine Englert Pat Meyer Nancy Brooks Michael Carpenter Robert Bell Judy Carstenson In memory of William and Walter A. Zuelow: Microsoft Giving Donald Benson Jr. Patty Miller In memory of Campaign In-Kind and Connie Ruby Griffith Munn: Dianne Zuelow on behalf of: Donations Winslow Benson Robert Patterson Giffen and Maxanne Cabot Garey Giffen Raul Garcia Forrest and John Cain and Mrs. Cornelius W. Diane Borreson Pettinga Sherry Green Tanya Reiss Cain In memory of In memory of Frank Coorsen Marjorie Richards: Carole Zuidmulder: Marilyn and Ted Rockwell Prudential Matching Doug Capouch Joel and Cheryl Jean Ruth Gifts Program Patrick Guy Martha Schoonover Forstrom on behalf of: Robert Carlson Preston Haining Gerard and Bud Richards JoAnne Bartlein Nan Snyder Honorary Warren Strandlien Lammot Copeland Jr. Warren Strandlien In honor of REI Workplace Gary and Robert and Giving Campaign In memory of Bob Gilbert: Doreen Deutsch Kathryn Vizas on behalf of: Estates Peggy Ann Sargent: Susan Nehring Corey Voss Erin Harri Vincent L. Hillyer Brian and Ellen Dietz Darien, Logan and Bruce Weeks Lucas Sargent In honor of Leslye Teuber Dorothy Webber Tom Dwight Andrew Gold’s Alonna Warns Mike and Keith and 11th birthday: Kathleen Williams Marie Flatness In memory of Andre Abedian David Truesdale: Julia and Parker Hall Timothy Wilson Jake Armuth Margaret Wyllie Andrea and Sam DeLap Judy Hunter Cole Groebner Denise Engel Christine and Rich Groebner Galen Kam Tom and Nancy In honor of Walter Medwid: Virginia Kluwin Lawrence Kay and Mike Littell Jerry Sanders Tom and In honor of Candy Manian Rachel Rossman’s Mike and graduation Julie Pilarski from college: Marilyn Truesdale Tim and Marti Truesdale Bernadette Feeley Thank You Brad McPhee, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium

18 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org Tracking the Pack

Captive Wolf Management: Socialized versus Non-socialized by Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, International Wolf Center

he International Wolf ized captive wolf manage- Theresa Williams TCenter’s resident wolves ment plan is just one style The Center’s ambassador wolves represent two gray wolf (Canis lupus) are true ambassadors, represented in a captive subspecies that are not endangered in the wild. Their job is to support the enchanting visitors who environment. In facilities Center’s mission to give the public an understanding of the physiology and behavior of wild wolves and to further understanding of the issues facing view them in their spacious with non-socialized captive wild wolves. wooded habitat. A Web cam wolf management, inter- enables Web site (www. action with humans is However, most red wolf SSP niques are designed to wolf.org) visitors to “track strictly avoided. The primary facilities do maintain exhibit reinforce interaction with the pack” online. purpose of these Species wolves (see list). humans as a negative expe- The Center’s manage- Survival Program (SSP) Wolves bred and held for rience. The more fear-avoid- ment philosophy empha- facilities is to breed and raise potential release in the wild ance reaction the SSP wolves sizes socializing wolves at a highly endangered wolves are managed in a way to have toward people, the young age to reduce anxiety like the Mexican gray wolf reduce wolf-human bonding higher will be the chance of and stress for the wolves and the red wolf for rein- or dependence on humans. survival when these wolves that are “on exhibit” at the troduction into the wild. If possible, handling tech- are released in the wild. educational center, to maxi- mize wolf handling and Red Wolf Chehaw Wild Animal New York Wolf Chattanooga Nature veterinary care opportuni- Park, Albany, Georgia Conservation Center, Center, Chattanooga, ties and to enhance the Captive South Salem, New York Tennessee Management Miller Park Zoo, visitor experience. Future Bloomington, Illinois Burnet Park Zoo, Knoxville Zoo, Tracking the Pack articles Facilities Syracuse, New York Knoxville, Tennessee Lincoln Park Zoo, will address the process of All the facilities listed here Chicago, Illinois North Carolina Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, socializing pups as the offer viewing of red Asheboro, North Carolina Glen Rose, Texas Niabi Zoo, Niabi, Illinois wolves to visitors. Center prepares for new Western North Carolina Fort Worth Zoo, Henson Robinson Zoo, arrivals in spring 2008. Chaffee Zoo, Nature Center, Fort Worth, Texas Springfield, Illinois Fresno, California Asheville, North Carolina The Center’s wolves rep- Texas Zoo, Victoria, Texas Land Between the Lakes, resent two gray wolf (Canis Beardsley Zoological North Carolina Life Golden Pond, Kentucky Virginia Living Museum, lupus) subspecies that are Gardens, Bridgeport, & Science, Durham, North Carolina Newport News, Virginia not endangered in the wild. Connecticut Alexandria Zoological Park, Alexandria, Louisiana Mill Mountain Zoo, Thus, the Center’s wolves Homosassa Springs Dan Nichols Park Nature Center, Roanoke, Virginia would never be candidates Wildlife Park, Salisbury Zoological Park, Homosassa, Florida Salisbury, Maryland Salisbury, North Carolina Point Defiance Zoo for release in the wild. Born & Aquarium, Jacksonville Zoo, Oklahoma City Zoo, Wildlife Science Center, Tacoma, Washington in captivity, they will stay Jacksonville, Florida Forest Lake, Minnesota Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in captivity. Their job is to Wolf Haven International, Brevard Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Jackson Zoological Park, Tenino, Washington support the Center’s mission Melbourne, Florida Jackson, Mississippi Providence, Rhode Island to give the public an under- Oglebay’s Good Zoo, Tallahassee Museum Cape Romain NWR Wild Canid Survival Wheeling, West Virginia standing of the physiology of Natural History, & Research Center, (Sewee), Awenda, and behavior of wild wolves Tallahassee, Florida Eureka, Missouri South Carolina North Eastern Wisconsin Zoo, Green Bay, Wisconsin and to further understanding Lowry Park Zoo, Trevor Zoo, Great Plains Zoo, of the issues facing wild Tampa, Florida Millbrook, New York Sioux Falls, South Dakota wolves. But it is important to Check online for Web sites for these red wolf captive management facilities. understand that this social-

International Wolf Winter 2007 19 Hunter Education and Red Wolf Restoration

by David Denton

orth Carolina has a long sportsmen looking to harvest this heritage of hunting, and in non-native and highly adaptive Nthe state’s more rural areas, animal. With more sportsmen hunting it’s a way of life. Of the many species coyotes in areas the endangered hunted in North Carolina, the coyote red wolf now inhabits, the problem is becoming a favorite among of identification will increase. Thus, sportsmen because of the challenge wildlife managers must come up of hunting a top predator. A few with solutions. sportsmen now hunt specifically for Hunter education is a good place these wily critters. But by far, most of to start. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife the coyotes harvested in the state are Service (USFWS) and the NCWRC taken as an incidental prize while along with Defenders of Wildlife hunting another species. and the Red Wolf Coalition worked In North Carolina, coyotes are cooperatively to create red wolf considered a “nuisance” animal, pocket ID cards. These laminated along with beavers, groundhogs, cards show and explain the physical nutria and skunks. The North differences between the red wolf and tance of making a positive ID in the Carolina Wildlife Resources Com- the coyote and include a map of field. The ID cards are given to all mission (NCWRC) allows year-round the current range of the red wolf in who attend a hunter education class hunting for these species with few the five northeastern counties of the in the northeastern part of the state to no restrictions. state. This colorful and informative and are available wherever hunting Since a large southeastern coyote pocket pamphlet has helped educate licenses are sold. With NCWRC weighs up to 40 pounds, a positive the public about the expanding range officers and volunteer instructors identification between a coyote and of the red wolf as the wild population teaching about the importance of all a red wolf, especially a young wolf, increases. species, sportsmen will gain a deeper can be difficult. Even trappers with With the distribution of the cards respect for the broader aspects of an animal in hand sometimes have through the NCWRC’s Hunter wildlife management. trouble telling the difference. Education Program, wildlife managers Eastern North Carolina has seen As coyote populations continue to are reaching out to outdoorsmen and many changes in the past 20 years. increase, so will the numbers of raising awareness about the impor- With new roads, highways and subdi- visions being built for the ever- increasing human population that is spreading into rural areas, educating the public about red wolves will be a major challenge. The pocket ID cards along with the materials and information in hunter education classes will help both the hunting West Gate and non-hunting public to protect the red wolf.

David Denton is a Hunter Education Specialist with the North Carolina Wildlife Enforcement Division, where he has worked since 1984 with wildlife management, research and education.

20 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org The Bulls Boys Red wolf siblings 331M and 332M, known as the “Bulls by Michael L. Morse Boys,” were born in captivity on Bulls ou never forget the first time Island and released a wild wolf responds to your with their parents into howls, offered into the dark the wilds of the Cape Y Romain National night. But my first attempt was even Wildlife Refuge off more memorable because, not being the coast of South an accomplished howler, I finished Carolina in 1989. with a series of uncontrollable coughs—to the great amusement of the senior wolf biologists. Everyone stopped laughing, though, when the Farms, the year- two newly released red wolf brothers ling brothers at- returned my howl. Although my tacked and killed vocal cords felt scorched, the adult 227M. In the swelling sensation in my chest and following months, mind made all else insignificant. one of the “Boys”

I remember clearly when the (331M) paired with and Wildlife Service “Bulls Boys” arrived from Bulls Island 205F (the mother of in 1989. These red wolf siblings, the four pups), and the 331M and 332M, had been born in other brother (332M) captivity on the island the previous paired with 351F. To top year and released with their parents all this, the Bulls Boys into the wilds of the Cape Romain allowed 205F’s four pups Michael L. Morse, U.S. Fish National Wildlife Refuge off the coast to remain in the Farms of South Carolina. When the “Boys” and grow up with the two were later set free into the Milltail packs! The possibility of two family Milltail pack. One of his pups raised Farms on the Alligator River National groups in the Farms producing two his own family virtually “next door” Wildlife Refuge in northeastern litters, one of which would contain at the Farms, tolerated by the Old North Carolina, we had no clue that second-generation pups was incred- Man, who likely would not have they would catapult the fledgling ible. Second-generation pups were given up a portion of his territory in wolf project onto the road to success. a major measure of the recovery his younger days. Near the end of his As yearlings, the brothers gave no program’s success, and it was life, he may no longer have been the hint of their substantial impact on happening in the first two years! breeding male of the Milltail pack, the recovery program. With their Unfortunately, it was all too good but he has left a living legacy. Siring tall, lanky bodies, sizable feet and to last. Unused to negotiating high- at least 22 pups from seven litters, broad heads, their appearance was way traffic on Bulls Island, 332M his genes are today an integral part not particularly impressive. Only one did not have 351F’s experience with of the wild population of red wolves other wolf lived at Milltail Farms— cars. She regularly crossed Highway in northeastern North Carolina. And the female 351F. We thought the 264, probably to hunt marsh rabbits. I hope it’s true, what the old-timers 10,000 acres of fields and forest were One night just before the 1989 say: “All dogs go to heaven.” enough to support the brothers and breeding season, 332M was killed 351F, plus another wolf family. The while crossing a highway just north Michael L. Morse is a native of north- Bulls Boys had other ideas. of Milltail Farms. eastern North Carolina and a biologist Only a month after the release of In 2000, no longer a “Boy” at the and private land coordinator with the a new wolf family (227M and 205F advanced age of 12, 331M was still U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf and their four pups) into Milltail hanging on and living with the Recovery Team.

International Wolf Winter 2007 21 Checked Out But a few years ago, something I thought she would turn and extraordinary happened. Mange had run off, as wolves normally do, so I by a Wolf! cropped up in an area of the recovery looked hard for signs of mange. But region, and the field team wanted to instead of bolting, the wolf got up, by Art Beyer observe some wolves. Mange mites, lowered her ears, crouched, and began parasites that burrow into the skin, slowly walking toward me. It was learned early in my career as a can be life threatening. The intense eerie. I had never encountered a wolf field biologist that observing red itching and loss of the protective coat that didn’t run, and this one seemed Iwolves in the wild is difficult. As can cause the wolf to suffer extreme to be stalking me as if I were prey. a volunteer in 1989, I felt I knew each weight loss and, in cold weather, Through the binoculars, she ap- pack inside and out from daily track- hypothermia. peared to be about 20 yards away, so ing, but I had yet to see a wolf during So, one midsummer day, I went I let her get close enough for a good my first three months in the recovery looking for a radio-collared female look before I whistled. She turned area because of the flat terrain and and picked up her signal in a corn- immediately and disappeared from thick vegetation. Even now, aside field. Wolves seem to prefer tall corn, sight. When I got out of the corn, from the times we remove a wolf maybe because there is shade to pro- I wiped the sweat from my eyes and from a trap or sneak up on one to get vide a cool spot, and there are fewer listened again for her signal. I found a sighting or to locate a den, we just bugs to contend with. I crawled into it—coming right from where I had don’t see them. Occasionally I’ll spot the field and saw her lying down in been lying in the corn. wolves during telemetry flights. I’ve one of the rows. She was a good Maybe she was just curious, trying watched adults chasing deer and distance away, but with binoculars to figure out just what exactly she pups playing together, and once I I could see her well. She was facing had seen. I can’t say for certain, but watched a wolf chasing off a couple me, her eyes closed. Before long, she it was an experience I won’t forget. of dogs that had wondered too close lifted her head briefly and looked And best of all, she looked healthy to its den. However, even from the air away. Then suddenly, she stared back and mange-free! it is difficult to see much detail in my direction. because of the vegetation. Art Beyer is lead biologist of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Recovery Team in northeastern North Carolina. Brad McPhee, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Field biologists do not often see red wolves in the wild unless they are removing one from a trap or sneaking up on one to get a sighting or to locate a den.

22 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org Bombing Range Balloons by Chris Lucash

ed wolf whelping season is a brief period each spring that Rthe field biologists both look forward to and dread. This stage of the wolves’ biological cycle is the payoff for our work throughout the rest of the year. It holds the promise of a new wolf generation and fore- tells, in part, the future status of the population. An annual, critical first step in monitoring and managing the red wolf population occurs at the dens. It sounds deceptively quick and simple: track to the breeding female’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service radio collar, find the pups, take a Red wolves choose isolated den locations that field biologists must reach by fighting drop of blood from each for a genetic through dense shrubs and downed trees overgrown with blackberry and entwined record and pedigree confirmation, with honeysuckle, greenbrier and grapevine. and insert a tiny transponder chip under each pup’s skin for lifelong For long stretches, I have to drag was in an isolated patch of myrtle instant identification. myself on my elbows through low shrubs in a sparsely vegetated bog The dreaded part stems from narrow tunnels, driven on by the not far from our trucks. As a visual knowing that red wolves choose fleeting hope of finding a den or a reference, I noticed his signal came isolated den locations that are as unap- pup but also by the unnerving from just north of two vagrant party proachable as possible. Sometimes the thought of countless seed ticks trav- balloons that had snagged on a mother is not at the den, or she detects eling up my clothing and the nearby branch. I could see well-trav- us before we get close and leads us off maddening realization that dozens eled trails leading through the bog in in the wrong direction. The whelping have already made it through to my that direction. Moving quietly, we season also coincides with other skin. Most searches yield pups only circled around to get downwind and uninviting seasonal changes: the after many hours and repeated crept within a few meters of the male beginning of high heat and humidity, attempts. Some years, I find nothing wolf before he detected us and fled. the prolific growth of thorny vines but lonely, empty day-beds, followed Surprisingly, within 30 minutes, we and poison ivy, and the burgeoning then by several weeks of itching. found two healthy pups, one male population of biting insects. In spring 2007, we were fortunate. and one female. Locating the Gator pack den is The male wolf’s signal indicated he always tough. This pack dens near the target area of an air force Most searches yield pups only after many hours bombing range; thus, the field crew has to work on Sunday, when the and repeated attempts. Some years, I find range isn’t “hot” with machine gun strafing and practice bombs. Because nothing but lonely, empty day-beds, the breeding female’s radio trans- mitter has quit functioning, finding followed then by several weeks of itching. her den means tracking her mate, who might be near the pups. This requires fighting dense shrubs and downed trees overgrown with black- For more first-person accounts from the field, please visit: berry and entwined with honey- suckle, greenbrier and grapevine. http://www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/ Always the ground is rarely visible red%20wolf/refieldnotes.html and all but unreachable when I fall.

International Wolf Winter 2007 23 After processing the pups, we started back, lighthearted, relieved and joking. On the way in, we hadn’t paid much attention to those two balloons bobbing in the breeze near the den. But now we took a closer look. They could not have been snagged there long with the thorny vines, wind, machine gun rounds, exploding prac- tice bombs and all—a couple of days, tops. Someone made an offhand comment about birthday balloons for the newborn pups, and we all laughed. A co-worker veered off trail to retrieve the balloons, and his return put a sudden end to our jabbering. “Happy Birthday!” proclaimed a yellow balloon. The other was white and appropriately

covered in tiny black puppy footprints. Chris Lucash I took a photograph to remember and In spring 2007, Chris Lucash located two healthy red wolf pups—nearby were these two balloons to prove the remarkable coincidence bobbing in the breeze near the den. to my wife. After more than 20 years of work out. Often, however, I am reminded Chris Lucash is a field biologist with with red wolves, I see some draw- that I do not. And I look forward the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red backs. I get stuck in routines, and to “going to work” every day—some- Wolf Recovery Team in northeastern sometimes think I have it all figured times even on Sunday. North Carolina.

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24 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org The Red Wolf Back from the Species Survival Brink of Extinction: Program

by Will Waddell

critical step in the red wolf’s to support interactive management ship between the USFWS and the journey from near extinction to between the two populations. Red Wolf SSP is an important compo- Areintroduction in northeastern Coordinating research in genome nent of implementing strategies North Carolina was initiating a banking, assisted reproduction, be- outlined for the recovery program. managed breeding program. Without havior studies and veterinary medi- This long-standing commitment to this effort, securing the red wolf’s cine are all examples of areas that will red wolf recovery by the USFWS and future would have been doubtful. enhance our ability to manage the the Red Wolf SSP illustrates our Before the Association of Zoos and population and are possible through collective understanding of the role Aquariums established the Species Red Wolf SSP cooperation and in- this unique predator plays in the Survival Plan® (SSP) program in 1981, volvement. Informing the millions of diverse landscape of the southeastern only three facilities were involved people who annually visit Red Wolf United States. The fact that the red in red wolf captive management. SSP institutions about the red wolf wolf is living in the wild is a testament The SSP concept is straightforward; story provides a great opportunity for to the tenacity of red wolves and the conserve rare species in a cooperative education. In recent years, educators people who want them to succeed. way to promote long-term popula- in the Red Wolf SSP, the USFWS tion diversity and demographic sta- and the Red Wolf Coalition have Will Waddell is the Coordinator of bility. Cooperation is the operative organized education workshops to the Red Wolf Species Survival Program word and is a hallmark of the Red evaluate education programs and at the Point Defiance Zoo and Wolf SSP. Today, 42 approved zoos materials and develop initiatives that Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington and wildlife centers around the can be shared with red wolf partners (http://www.pdza. org/page.php?id=296). United States participate in the Red and local teachers. Wolf SSP and collectively manage a It is fitting population of 208 red wolves. that we cele- How does the Red Wolf SSP fit brate 20 years into the recovery equation with field since red wolves efforts focused on monitoring the from the Red wild population? Managing the popu- Wolf SSP were lation as a genetic reservoir is our released at primary task. Since all red wolves Alligator River managed by the U.S. Fish and National Wild- Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the life Refuge. This Red Wolf SSP are descended from just effort represents 14 founder wolves, preserving genetic a conservation diversity is critically important. How- success story ever, the Red Wolf SSP does fill that has been a multiple roles. While the need to model for other • SSP facilities provide adult wolves for reintroduc- species restora- tion has diminished in recent years as tion projects. more red wolves breed and produce This year also pups in the wild, the innovative tech- marks another important anniversary Today, 42 approved zoos and wildlife centers nique of cross-fostering pups from in the red wolf program. In 1977, around the United States participate in the the Red Wolf SSP to wild litters four years after the breeding pro- Red Wolf Species Survival Program and collec- tively manage a population of 208 red wolves. (where the captive-born pups are gram was formalized, the first litter raised by wild wolves along with their of red wolf pups was born at the own offspring) has emerged as an Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium important way for the Red Wolf SSP in Tacoma, Washington. The partner-

International Wolf Winter 2007 25 Red Wolf Learning Resources A Sampling for Teachers, Non-formal Educators, Parents and Students

by Mark MacAllister

ducation is an important com- pretive resources. Available from Books and Videos ponent of red wolf recovery. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Call The Red Wolf (Wolves and Wild ESeveral organizations have 252-473-1131, ext. 246, or e-mail Dogs Series), by Fred Harrington developed high-quality learning [email protected]. materials and offer them in a variety Far Traveler is a comprehensive The Red Wolf (Saving Endangered of formats. activity workbook containing lesson Species Series), by Alison Imbriaco plans, crossword puzzles, word finds, Teachers, Non-formal matching challenges and other games Red Wolf Country, by Jonathon London to teach about red wolves and how Educators, Parents, Gray Wolf/Red Wolf, by Dorothy Patent Students: they live. It can be downloaded at no cost from the U.S. Fish and Journey of the Red Wolf, How would you like to learn Wildlife Service (see “Red Wolves on by Roland Smith about red wolves? the Web” below). A revised edition Red Wolf Discovery Box offers will be available in 2007. Return of the Wolf, by Steve Grooms “hands-on” experiences for all audi- Red Wolf Species Survival Plan ences. It contains a wolf pelt, skull, (RWSSP) Educator Packet 2006 “Restoration of the Red Wolf,” tracking collar, track cast and inter- contains educational materials devel- by Michael K. Phillips, V. Gary oped by the U.S. Fish and Henry, and Brian T. Kelly, chapter 11 Wildlife Service, Red Wolf in Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Species Survival Program, the Conservation, edited by L. David Red Wolf Coalition and the Mech and Luigi Boitani U.S. Forest Service. Contact Meant to Be Wild, by Jan DeBlieu Education Advisors Craig Standridge (cstandridge@ Recovering a Species: The Red Wolf pdza.org) or Pam Meyer (DVD from U.S. Fish and Wildlife (pmeyer_wcc@onemain. Service) com) for information. World Wide Web: Red wolf lovers of all ages inter- This 2007 publication is being ested in the latest and most in-depth distributed to all libraries and information will find it on the schools in the five-county red World Wide Web. Here are some not- wolf recovery area in North Carolina, and to various agen- to-miss sites. The URLs are listed in cies and red wolf education the textbox below. facilities throughout the United States. Funds are Field Trip Earth: Operated by the provided by the U.S. Fish and North Carolina Zoological Society, Wildlife Service Red Wolf this Web site has monitored the red Recovery Team and the Red wolf recovery program since 2002 Wolf Coalition.

26 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org and offers stories, photos and video resources about red wolves and the Red Wolves on the Web history of the recovery program. Red Wolf Coalition, International Far Traveler U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wolf Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/ Service Red Wolf Service, Defenders of Wildlife and red%20wolf/rwee.html Recovery Program Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/ Red Wolf Species Survival Program: Field Trip Earth redwolf.html These organizations provide impor- www.fieldtripearth.org tant facts about red wolves and about Point Defiance Zoo and the people who work to protect them. Red Wolf Coalition Aquarium Red Wolf www.redwolves.com Species Survival Program The red wolf barely evaded extinc- www.pdza. org/page.php?id=296 tion just a few short years ago. Public International Wolf Center education will help ensure that it www.wolf.org The Wolf won’t come close again. Click to the Conservation Center Web, visit the library, or contact red Defenders of Wildlife www.wolfconservationcenter.org wolf experts to learn more—and be www.defenders.org sure to share your newfound knowl- North Carolina Wildlife edge with the children in your life. Wild Canid Survival and Research Center Resources Commission Mark MacAllister coordinates Field Trip www.wolfsanctuary.org www.ncwildlife.org Earth and serves as vice-chair on the Red Wolf Coalition’s board of directors.

Thank you, Walter.

For 14 years the International Wolf Center has enjoyed the leadership of a remarkable man.

At a board-staff retreat in early days, we were each asked to select an ani- mal which best represented our role in the organization. Walter Medwid was an eagle, the visionary, flying high, searching out the next delicious possibility. And yet he has also brought to the Center the characteristics of the buffalo in his steady marching forward, the bear in his focus on essen- tial details, and the mouse in his good friendship.

Walter's success as executive director is reflected in the strengths of our staff, the collegiality of the Center's board and the organizational results: hundreds of success- ful initiatives and credibility in the world of the wolf.

As Walter leaves the Center, we are grateful for these years and the gifts he has shared—energy, intelligence, integrity and friendship. Fly well, eagle.

International Wolf Winter 2007 27 A Look Beyond for the Red Wolf least two or three wild and viable red wolf populations are thriving on por- tions of their former historic range. by Bud Fazio We will continue in our determina- tion to help red wolves survive and he journey of the red wolf is must seek additional scientific data on to reach to new levels of renewal, and extraordinary. Going from top wolf-coyote interactions and develop it is our hope they will be appreciated Tpredator for 10,000 years in strategies to ensure long-term red and enjoyed by people from many eastern and southeastern North wolf survival in the face of continuing lands across many generations. America to “extinct in the wild” by pressures from people and from 1980, the resilient red wolf has made eastern coyotes. Another challenge is Bud Fazio, a wildlife biologist, has an astonishing comeback since 1987. to reduce red wolf mortality from gun- served as Team Leader of the Red Wolf Red wolves again roam and howl in shot and vehicles by educating and Recovery Program since 2001 for the the wild, and we celebrate the 20th working with targeted audiences U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) anniversary year of restoration. Hard through programs and widely distrib- in North Carolina. Previously, Fazio work by veteran field biologists and uted informational materials. A third worked for the USFWS as an endangered captive breeding program specialists challenge is to rally support from state species biologist overseeing efforts for have established one wild red wolf governments, select communities more than 30 federally endangered or population in North Carolina and a and natural resource partners to estab- threatened species in Ohio and surrounding states. captive breeding population com- lish additional populations of red prised of many facilities across the wolves in new locations. Other chal- United States. New techniques such lenges involve addressing the effects as pup fostering have been developed of climate change and the dynamics and implemented. We all have reason of canid disease. to be proud. Challenges will necessitate creative We expect creative innovations solutions, and we are optimistic in our hopes and vision for the future of and solid accomplishments in years Biologist Ryan to come. Pioneering advances red wolves. The red wolf is back from Nordsven, holding will continue in genetics, adaptive the brink of extinction thanks to red wolf pups management, satellite telemetry, visionary scientists, enthusiastic part- born in 2007. habitat studies and field monitoring. ners, hard-working field biologists New insights will be developed in and state-of-the-art manage- canid taxonomy. Interaction studies ment tools. We look forward between red wolves and eastern to the day when at coyotes will move from planning stages to field implementation. Fresh perspectives in the human dimen- sions of wolf restoration will be explored. The central roles of outreach education and ecotourism in red wolf conservation will grow. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Additional partnership opportunities will develop, while existing partner- ships strengthen. We anticipate challenges as well. For example, we know how to effec- tively build a red wolf population, how to successfully manage eastern coyotes, and how to reduce or elimi- nate threats of interbreeding. Yet, we

28 Winter 2007 www.wolf.org